Endangered Forms highlight caged cruelty against tigers (Photo: Egan Hwan)
Red Hong Yi prepared her sculpture for World Wide Fund for Nature Singapore’s AR-mazing Tiger Trail 2022 campaign using materials and processes based on those found in traditional crafts. Endangered Forms melds the mission of saving the tiger with her endeavour to keep two art forms alive. Both require passion, dedication and sacrifice.
“I ended up not painting my tiger but caged it up instead to show how, if we continue poaching them, they will become endangered,” says Hong Yi, who works with everyday materials to produce works that highlight symbols, stories and traditions of her roots. “I left the creature bare to express the urgency to stop its numbers from diminishing.”
Hong Yi built the cage using rattan, similar to how the head of the lion used in the lion dance is made. To secure the joints, she used knotting and cording, beautiful art forms that require dedication to thrive.
Fellow Malaysian Katun, known for his graffiti art, sheds tears for the tiger, a constant prey, in his painting titled Rest in Paradise.
“I made the Caspian Tiger my subject as I deeply sympathise with how they are being hunted down and suffer loss of habitat, which leads to their extinction. It is sad to see those vulnerable beasts being mistreated for human benefit,” he says.
“I hope that looking at these beautiful lost souls resting in paradise will touch the hearts of people and inspire them to protect and conserve all animals.”
This article first appeared on Apr 11, 2022 in The Edge Malaysia.
