The Last Rhino

This project is dedicated to the memory of the last male northern white rhino, Sudan. He died in May of 2018 in Kenya, a rich and beautiful country which I once had the pleasure of calling my home. Inspired by his story and wanting to address the devastating effects of poaching, I created a surreal image of a hot air balloon pulling an old rhinoceros' horn away from him. Using three-dimensional sculpting tools, I designed my character as an anthropomorphized version of a rhino wearing a dashing striped suit while holding a cane. His human characteristics and upright posture engage the audience with the story, making them empathize with his predicament. Given the somber nature of the content, my choice of bright colors might be perplexing to some. I purposefully wanted to create a paradoxical world to highlight the absurdity of our reality, in which one values a part of the rhinoceros so much, that one is willing to sacrifice the only possible surviving male male progenitor.