This piece was inspired by video footage from Shanghai Wildlife Park capturing an unexpected and touching moment in the life of a tamandua family. Typically, a tamandua mother carries her baby on her back. In this rare instance, however, the father was seen carrying the mother, who in turn carried their young. This unusual reversal of roles created a deeply heartwarming image, one that speaks to care, cooperation, and tenderness that remind us, that we are not that different from other animals. I felt compelled to preserve this special moment through my sculpture.
The work consists of three individual sculptural forms that connect to one another using wooden rods. The piece can be disassembled and reassembled, visualizing the idea of family bonds, where distinct individuals become stronger when joined together.
The sculptures were made from stoneware clay and finished with underglazes, oxides, and glazes. They were fired twice, once at a low temperature and once at a high temperature, allowing for both painterly surface detail and structural durability.
For collectors and wildlife enthusiasts, this piece offers more than a depiction of animals as it captures a rare, intimate behavior that challenges conventional assumptions about parental roles in nature. It is a reminder of empathy, partnership, and the emotional ties present in the natural world, making it both a sculptural object and a story preserved in clay.
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