CO-EXISTENCE

Coexistence is a series of exhibitions showcasing life-size elephants made from Lantana Camara by indigenous artists from the Nilgiris forests. Lantana Camara is an invasive weed that was introduced to India by the British, in an effort to use the flowering bush as an ornamental plant in botanical gardens. It spreads fast – but can’t be eradicated with the same ease – and is detrimental to the forest ecosystem. The Real Elephants Collective’s initiative to encourage the use of Lantana as a source of livelihood for communities has been a more promising solution – drawing attention not just to the lives of the gentle elephants but to how they coexist with the world.

Each of the elephants featured in Coexistence is modelled on a real elephant that roams the forests, with unique identifying features such as ears, tusks, the shape of the body and the tail. Hand-drawn structural drawings are used to construct the metal rebar which forms the skeleton of each of the elephants – after which the artisans build the elephants using the tough, woody lantana. Much like their real-life counterparts – each of the elephants gets their own hand-painted eye. This exhibition at KAASH was held from the 3rd to the 10th of April 2022. - The Real Elephant Collective