Jungle City Edinburgh - August to September 2011
City-wide exhibition of 130 fibreglass, decorated, lifesize animals. Including Elephants, Orangutans, Hornbills, Crocodiles and Tigers.
Organised by the Elephant Family.

After the success of last years Elephant Parade in London, Gemma was asked to design and paint a new animal for a project in Edinburgh. Jungle City Edinburgh showcased over 130 lifesize sculptures of endangered animals. The animals included Asian Elephants, Orangutans, Tigers, Crocodiles and Hornbills all painted by regional Scottish and national artists, designers and celebrities. They started their journey to turn Edinburgh at fringe time into an urban jungle at the Royal Botanics Gardens, then migrating around the city of Edinburgh for a month until being auctioned off at the end of the event.

This year 50 of the animals are also voiced by celebrities on an audio guide that helps to highlight the plight of the various animals and their mutual habitat. Jungle City Edinburgh aims to raise 1 million pounds for the conservation of the animals and their habitat.

Gemma painted an orangutan which was inspired partially from her work with postcards and from last years elephant. However she also wanted to celebrate the event and include Edinburgh tourist sights as well as all the animals in the event.

She produced a dual sided sculpture, with a blue-skied landscape containing locations like Edinburgh castle on the front and a stormy jungle-esque scene filled with animals on the reverse. Both highlighting the obvious event going on around the visitor and reminding them that the animals are under threat.

More information can be found here.