Elephants
Elephants
Artist
Adonna Khare
(born 1980)
Date2012
MediumCarbon pencil on paper
Dimensions89 7/8 in. × 32ft. 3 in. (228.3 × 983 cm)
2 Left Panels: 88 × 42 3/8 in. (223.5 × 107.6 cm)
3 Center Panels: 89 7/8 × 72 1/2 in. (228.3 × 184.2 cm)
2 Right Panels: 88 × 42 3/8 in. (223.5 × 107.6 cm)
2 Left Panels: 88 × 42 3/8 in. (223.5 × 107.6 cm)
3 Center Panels: 89 7/8 × 72 1/2 in. (228.3 × 184.2 cm)
2 Right Panels: 88 × 42 3/8 in. (223.5 × 107.6 cm)
ClassificationsDrawing
Credit LineCrystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas, Gift of ArtPrize – Grand Rapids, MI, 2016.23
Signedpanel 7, l.r.: ADONNA KHARE / [AK]
Accession number
2016.23
Description7 sheets of paperOn View
Not on viewLabel TextAll of Adonna Khare’s works focus on animals. Executed with marvelous detail, her large drawings play with scale and evoke a spirited sense of whimsy. Though not immediately apparent, Khare sprinkles subtle but plentiful environmental statements throughout the scenes: an orca whale jumps from one tiny coffee mug to another, birds make homes in tea pots, and a metaphorical “tension in the air” is visualized through the suspension of various creatures. The effects of humans on the animal kingdom are never overtly stated by the artist, but as Khare’s technical skill draws viewers closer, human presence is undeniably felt.
The artist’s creation of Elephants marks the culmination of her journey back to artmaking after a long break. Khare’s drawings are personal, incorporating animals whose likenesses reference her friends and family. Completed over the course of 18 months, this work won ArtPrize in 2012, one of the highest profile art competitions in the world.
