
With the Weight of Each Step, 2018-2019
Hand-knotted, hand-spun, hand-dyed natural wool
220 x 100cm
(dimensions are variable as each rug is handmade)
Limited edition of 10 plus two artist's proofs
Courtesy the artist
"Historical Tibetan rugs evoked the presence and qualities of Tibetan tigers through figural depictions at near one-to-one scale, or simple abstracted patterns inspired by the tiger's dense striped fur. My design for Tomorrow's Tigers also embraces the iconicity of the tiger, its colour, and its true scale. The footprints of a tiger are cut from the rug pile, imprinting the trace of the tiger's gait into the rug itself. Eight paw-print impressions spanning the two-metre length evoke both the presence and absence of the tiger in all its power and grace.
My work with What Is Missing? Foundation bears witness to the biodiversity, species, and habitats we are losing, but also the steps we've taken to regain what's been lost. The goal is to use loss as a way to raise awareness and to instil a sense of responsibility to try to help. I think WWF and Artwise are doing the same thing with Tomorrow's Tigers. By raising awareness about the devastating loss of tigers and highlighting the incremental success of ongoing conservation efforts, from WWF and other, this project is focused on both hope and action. More than anything I hope people walk away with the much-needed feeling that it's within their power to make a change." - Maya Lin
Exhibitions
Tomorrow's Tigers, (2019), Sotheby's, London; (2019-2020), Academicians' Room, the Royal Academy of Arts, London
