We humans are the ones who can decide what happens to the less fortunate and most vulnerable beings on this planet. Among them are animals. They exist the way they do because we have decided it should be so. Understanding our role is crucial. To respect or not, to love or not, to admire or not, to mistreat or not. By paying attention to the existence of animals, humans help us inhabit this space we occupy with love and awareness. In several of the works in “Garra” (Claw), I express myself playfully. And in turn, I invite the viewer to play and think about what humans and animals share. I observe the attributes and virtues of both: the grace of animals and humans, their abundance and courage, their perseverance and vulnerability, their beauty, their needs, and their instincts. Animals and humans have much in common.

 

I lend them words, both my own and others', so that thoughts may arise that include animals.

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Constanza Oxenford