Judith Wolf

Walking with, feeding, learning about, and watching a herd of rescued Asian elephants in sanctuary in the Chiang Mai province of Northern Thailand, I was mesmerized by these majestic creatures. The experience of volunteering with elephants in 2023 inspired a series of woodblock prints. The medium of woodblock printmaking allows me to use a variety of carving tools and techniques to explore the rich texture of elephants and the grass and leaves they forage amidst diminishing natural resources. I am drawn to printmaking because it is process oriented, with elements of layering, experimentation, and surprise. My travels to this region first inspired imagery of landscapes, rocks and water. In my current series, some images depict a single elephant while others express the merging of several into one organic mass. I am interested in the way shapes and negative space in between trunks and legs become abstract, with some forms even unrecognizable. In some images, elephants are integrated into the forest vegetation, emerging with full presence or ephemerally hidden and receding. Immersing myself with these deeply socially intelligent beings inspired me to contemplate separateness and attachment, care and connection, bonding and belonging.