David Griggs and Jenny Watson join The Tusk LionTrail

The work of leading Australian artists David Griggs and Jenny Watson is currently included in the global public art trail The Tusk LionTrail.

Between now and November, 47 life-sized lion sculptures, designed and made by some of the planet’s foremost artists, musicians and sportspeople, can be found roaming the streets of London, Bristol, Edinburgh, The Hamptons, Wellington, Nairobi, and Sydney.

The trail aims to highlight the threats currently faced by the African ‘king of the beasts’ and raise funds for the conservation of the lion population, as well as to support those working to protect the big cat whose livelihoods have been impacted by Covid-19.

Curated by Chris Westbrook on behalf of the NGO Tusk and its Patrons HRH Prince William and Kate, the trail has been sponsored by Donna Karen (DKNY), Deborra-Lee Jackson, Iman Bowie, Christy Turlington, Ronnie Wood, Julian Schnabel, Eric Fiscl, and Ross Bleckner among others.

Westbrook selected David Griggs (represented by Greenaway Art Gallery | GAGPROJECTS, Adelaide; STATION, Melbourne; and Jan Murphy Gallery, Brisbane) to paint a life size resin lion, whose final city centre location in Australia is yet to be announced.

Jenny Watson (represented by Greenaway Art Gallery | GAGPROJECTS, Adelaide; Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney; and Anna Schwartz Gallery, Melbourne) has contributed a painting titled A lion hearted girl in sixties Melbourne dreaming of swinging London and 200cm by 200cm in size.

The works included in the trail will be auctioned by leading global auction house Bonhams in November, with funds raised providing vital support for Tusk’s conservation projects protecting lion and other iconic African species.

The initiative is presented by DHL in association with global co-sponsor ISPS Handa.

This article was originally published 24 August 2021.

Image: David Griggs with his painted life-size lion sculpture for The Tusk Lion Trail 2021