Sotheby's, WWF and leading international artists collaborate for 'Tomorrow's Tigers'

As one of the feared predators are heading towards the brink of its extinction, a study by the World Wide Fund (WWF) states, “From a population of perhaps 100,000 a century ago, wild tiger numbers hit an all-time low—as few as 3,200 in 2010.” In the same year, all 13 tiger range governments— India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Lao PDR (People's Democratic Republic), Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand, Vietnam, China, and Indonesia—came together, for the first time, at the St. Petersburg Summit to commit to doubling the number of wild tigers by 2022, the next lunar Year of the Tiger. At the forefront of these efforts to protect the tigers is the WWF and their numerous efforts to fight wildlife crime, protect tiger habitat, and stop illegal logging.

In one such initiative, WWF announced ‘Tomorrow’s Tigers 2022,’ an exhibition and fundraising project featuring specially commissioned, limited-edition art rugs by 12 internationally renowned artists. Exhibited at the Sotheby’s London, the displayed works include a limited-edition art rug by Scottish painter Peter Doig and a unique, one-of-a-kind art rug by the leading Chinese artist Ai Weiwei. Curated by Artwise Curators, Tomorrow’s Tigers also presents works by—Italian artist Francesco Clemente, French painter Bernard Frize, English artist Gary Hume, Indian visual artist Reena Saini Kallat, British-Indian Sculptor Anish Kapoor, American designer Maya Lin, writer and artist Harland Miller, Indian artist Raqib Shaw, German-American artist Kiki Smith, and British painter Rose Wylie.

Inspiration by the rare antique tiger rugs of Tibet, the exhibits at Sotheby’s aim to voice the call for action to protect the tigers. “These exquisite rugs push the boundaries of the art form, with each artist responding to both the splendour and the grave plight of tigers in the wild to create their own vision of what a tiger rug could be,” states the press release. Ai Weiwei’s rug, in a playful manner, adorns abstracted patterns and a minimal colour palette. The rug design for Tyger was fabricated in Afghanistan by master weavers of the Turquoise Mountain, in traditional Ghazni wool using only natural colours including undyed wool from white and black sheep, together with an orange that was created by using a mixture of saffron, yellow larkspur, and madder. “In my opinion, human civilization can only be measured against human beings’ relationship with other beings in the world, our tolerance and understanding towards other species, and the well-being of all life. Protection of endangered animals is a kind of self-love, without which we would all be living in a savage land,” shares Ai Weiwei.

Translating Peter Doig’s original artwork into a rug, high knot wool and silk were employed to shape the boxing tigers in the foreground. Using hand-knotted 100 per cent silk, the rug appears to create a visually striking contrast of high sheen against the matt wool of the background. Talking about the rug and his support for the selling exhibition, Doig shares, “My imagery takes its tigers from an existing Tibetan rug but adds a narrative that could be about a fight for survival. It is terrifying how few tigers are left in the wild and the thought of them one day only existing in captivity is truly tragic.” With an in-depth knowledge of antique rugs and extensive experience in producing limited-edition art pieces, Christopher Farr was entrusted to realise the artworks into rugs.

With these reflections on the Tibetan tiger rugs at the exhibition, organised to raise awareness and funds to protect the endangered species, Tomorrow’s Tigers aims to create a significant stir in the art and design world regarding the issue. “Over this last decade, a century-long trend of wild tiger decline has been reversed—providing a glimmer of hope. Protecting tigers protects more than just this one iconic species—their presence represents healthy ecosystems and habitats, with tiger landscapes playing a vital role in storing carbon. Sadly, the trend of recovery is not consistent across all tiger range countries, with South-East Asia a particular concern. Recovering tiger populations requires a close partnership with local communities and commitment from governments to make this a reality,” states Becci May, Senior Programme Advisor, Asia Programmes, WWF-UK.

Led by Artwise Curators in partnership with WWF, Tomorrow’s Tigers is also the featured project for Art For Your World in 2022. Art For Your World works in collaboration with the art world to help tackle the climate and nature crisis, supporting five key WWF projects and areas of work including protecting habitats and species—with this year’s focus being tiger landscapes. The presentation at Sotheby’s will also include a tiger-themed exhibition in celebration of Tomorrow’s Tigers, with works by artists including—Chila Kumari Singh Burman, Jethro Buck, Karen Knorr, Debbie Lawson, Saad Qureshi, and Rob & Nicky Carter.

The exhibition, Tomorrow’s Tigers, will be on display at Sotheby’s London till November 29, 2022.