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David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation- Wildlife Artist of the Year 2021
The David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation host this competition every year it is described by them as an "internationally renowned art competition and exhibition often referred to as the ‘Oscars of international wildlife art.’ Each year, the competition welcomes entries from hundreds of talented artists worldwide, in a celebration of outstanding wildlife art."
My Piece, "The Meeting of the Whales" was shortlisted and received a highly commended badge given by the judges, as well as being sold in the virtual exhibition, with 50% of the proceeds from this sale going to the support of the charitable work of David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF) and their ground-based conservation partners across Africa and Asia.
Holly Young is a freelance artist based in Bristol (UK) and has been practicing sculpture since 2017. Since 2019, her subject focus has been ceramic animals, specifically whales, snails, frogs, and various sea creatures. It is important to Holly that she realistically depicts the animals that she sculpts, which is why she studies them closely through photographs and sketches before making them. Every piece is made from scratch as she loves to capture a unique character and unique markings in each animal, just like they have in real life. The Meeting of the Whales comprises 6 individual hand-sculpted ceramic sculptures, each of which is approximately 36cm long. Holly says “I chose to base my piece on these 6 out of the many species as I feel that they beautifully represent the diversity of cetaceans, and their varying textures and colours lend themselves perfectly to the medium of ceramic sculpture. Cetaceans play a vital role in maintaining the health of our oceans, which is why, now more than ever, we need to protect and appreciate them. Representing and immortalising them in art-form allows us to appreciate and reflect upon their beauty.”
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