What a beauties giraffes are!
And just as beautiful they are, there is so much fascinating facts about them.
Did you know that they are born with horn-like protrusions called ossicones? Initially they are unattached to the skull to prevent injury during birth and later, they fuse to the skull as the giraffe matures.
Or that they have developed impressive physiological solutions to move blood efficiently through their unusually long necks and legs?
Their arteries are strong and highly muscular, and the tightly stretched skin on their legs functions much like natural compression gear, preventing blood from pooling and aiding its flow back to the heart. Researchers at NASA have drawn inspiration from these natural adaptations when developing advanced spacesuit designs.
This sculpture is a love letter to this progressively declining specie that now gain the status of the "silent extinction". Giraffe are often considered the forgotten giants, and their decline has been largely overlooked. While everyone loves to see giraffe on safari, historically there has been little interest in their conservation, numbers and distribution. They were assumed to be everywhere in Africa, but the reality looks very different.
I encourage everyone to read about them and support organizations who are fighting for the protection of giraffes.
One being https://giraffeconservation.org
Stoneware, underglaze and glaze, 2025
H 26 cm
W 17 cm
D 23 cm
