I sculpted this limited edition bronze pangolin to raise funds for Back to Africas pangolin research initiative. BtA is a non-profit organisation dedicated to giving back to African wildlife what it has lost through facilitating conservation and research projects. They are conducting pioneering research into blood parasites that threaten the survival of pangolins rescued from poachers. Stress makes these parasites deadly, causing life-threatening anaemia in affected animals.’Pangolin’ is a reflection on the cycle of wildlife poaching, through the form of the worlds most trafficked mammal. Its circular movement is informed by enduring colonial structures that have established and continue to perpetuate the global wildlife trade. The sculptures solidity and sense of permanence stand in tension with the fragility of the species it portrays. Through weight and tactility, the work invites an intimate, affective connection to an elusive animal – one that is facing further absence.