About the piece:
Carrie Cook defines herself as a portrait artist, encouraging the viewers of her work to witness members of other species as individuals, deserving of life and freedom of harm. She is currently working on a portrait series featuring inhabitants of the Centre for Great Apes sanctuary in Florida. She believes that every great ape has a story, whether used for experimentation, food or entertainment, living in captivity, or facing increasing perils in the wild. This portrait ‘Keagan’ represents the story of Keagan who was born at a breeding facility in Miami, taken from her mother as an infant, and sold to a trainer for work in entertainment and live stage shows. Retired when she was 6, Keagan was held at the trainer’s compound for years until she arrived at the sanctuary. Keagan’s current caregivers describe her as curious, innovative and resourceful. She has an interesting grunt sound she uses throughout the day to ‘talk’. Orangutans are known for their high intelligence and sensitivity, and non-human apes like Keagan have the right to life, liberty and freedom from harm.

At least 50% of the proceeds from this sale will support the charitable work of David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF) and our ground-based conservation partners across Africa and Asia.