Tag: art

Drawing by Ayan Kamath Mehra

By: Ayan Kamath Mehra, India/Singapore

Qualia – coined by philosopher C. I. Lewis – refers to ‘instances of subjective, conscious experience’. For example, running your fingers through cold water, the experience of seeing the colour purple, and the struggle of lifting a new PR (personal record in lifting). These moments cannot be shared. Human language fails to transfer experiences from one person to another. No matter how many words are used in just the right way, it is impossible to explain the colour purple to a person born blind. Qualia cannot be shared.

However, I think art comes very close. While it may not transmit the exact experience, art can move an audience to feel the same way about said experience. This is why, I think, it is one of the most powerful tools for wildlife conservation. Art can make people care about the cause, appreciate the sentience of animals, and instil a passion to fight cruelty.

Incensed by the plight of rhinos brutally slaughtered for their horns; at the age of eleven, I decided to combine my passions for art and wildlife to raise awareness and funding for endangered species. I created savewildlife.art: a platform that celebrates animals through art and storytelling. In five years, savewildlife.art has raised funds to adopt 24 endangered animals around the globe, but perhaps more importantly has created awareness and ambassadors for wildlife conservation among the many people who have engaged with the art and stories on the platform.

Most recently, savewildlife.art partnered with Drawing for the Planet to create The Tiger’s Forest – an art workshop that goes to schools across India, Singapore, the UK, and the US, educating and inspiring children about our shared natural wealth in tigers and the animals that live in their ecosystems. By reaching thousands of children with art workshops we hope to evoke feeling and action, creating the next generation of wildlife warriors to nurture our planet.