I am incredibly honoured that I have been asked to participate in the annual Sketch for Survival exhibition.
For everyone who does not know about this wonderful event, here´s a short introduction:
The Real World Conservation Trust set up a campaign (Explorers against Extinction) of which the Sketch for Survival exhibition is a part. Professional artists as well as well-known celebrities are asked to donate sketches, original art, illustrations or cartoons, which are sold in aid of conservation. Last year´s event raised £40.000 and funded vital projects of Rhino Conservation Botswana, Ol Pejeta in Kenya and the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Nairobi.
This year´s collection will tour through the UK in October and November, which includes the Gallery@Oxo in London and will travel to New York for another 3 days. It will also be auctioned online during November for everyone who cannot attend the exhibition in person.
So what about the 26 minutes? According to the Real World Conservation Trust (RWCT) it takes 26 min for another elephant to die in the wild due to poaching. That´s a shockingly short amount of time to loose such an important member of our ecosystem. Considering that, the RWCT suggested spending these 26 min on a quick sketch in aid of conservation, which to me seems quite fitting. They can really make a change! If you want to learn more about the Sketch for Survival exhibition visit their website at http://sketchforsurvival.co.uk.