“India herself!” Ruth beams when asked about the origins of The Great Elephant Migration “And the real elephant collective team who not only create the elephants but also live with these large and sometimes challenging animals”

Having spent 20 years in conservation, Ruth’s journey with Elephant Family has always been about dreaming big and bringing large-scale art projects to life. “The rewilding movement has now gained momentum, increasingly raising the question of how we can balance the needs of people and animals and how to overlap successfully.” Ruth tells us, “It occurred to me that in India, people live alongside the world’s biggest land mammal and have found ways to do so relatively peacefully. 

It took nearly a decade to bring The Great Elephant Migration to life. “ What a bigger and better way to help the world to visualise this coexistence story, than to bring 100 life-size elephants from coast to coast!”

The life-sized sculptures that are taking over cities are more than just art; they’re a symbol of human-wildlife coexistence. But how did Ruth choose the communities that would create these magnificent pieces?

“I’ve had the joy of working with many Indian artists over the years, learning about their craft heritage,” Ruth explains. She was inspired by India’s tradition of animism (seeing plants, trees, and animals as kin). “This plays a part in their ability to coexist [with nature.]”

The elephant sculptures are made from invasive Lantana weed, which is taking over India’s forests and pushing animals out of their home. “The original plan was for the sculptures to be made from something with a positive environmental impact” Ruth explains, “and the search for that material led me to the Nilgiri Hills, where communities, who live alongside the elephants on which the sculptures are based, were already experimenting with Lantana.” And that’s how the vision to transform this ecological threat into fantastic works of art came to life!

The aim of The Great Elephant Migration is to spark conversation about coexistence. “We want people to walk among the herd, experience their awesome presence and beauty, and be able to visualise the places in the world where people live alongside these giants,” Ruth tells us.

“The elephants spark conversations around tolerance, empathy and coexistence. We hope people leave the exhibit feeling inspired to find ways to live better with animals.”

For Ruth, art and creativity are crucial to communicating conservation messages. “Art allows us to confront hard truths without being destroyed by them,” she reflects. In the age of climate change and ecological collapse, art has the power to move people in ways that data and facts alone cannot.

When it comes to making a difference, Ruth believes that it starts with individuals. “We need to evolve how we understand the world and our place in it. And see that the world belongs as much to all the other living beings.”