Tippi Degré: Daughter of Namibia, Best Friend To Animals, Desired By The World

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Tippi Degre: Daughter of Namibia, Best Friend to Animals, Desired By The World

These childhood images of Tippi Degré, born in 1990 the newly-independent Namibia to French parents, documentary film makers and wildlife photographers Alain Degré and Sylvie Robert, are extraordinary in their intimacy. Named after Tippi Hedren, the young girl Tippi Benjamine Okanti Degré grew up in the company of an elephant named Abu and a dizzying array of big cats, snakes, a baby zebra, an ostrich, giant bullfrogs and countless other members of her animal menagerie. It’s said that Tippi persuaded giraffes to come down to her level.

Eye | Behati Prinsloo In 'Seminole Spirit' By Russell James Opens Feb 17 At NYC Stephan Weiss Gallery

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Behati Prinsloo In ‘Seminole Spirit’ By Russell James Opens Feb 17 At NYC Stephan Weiss Gallery

Apart from the photos of Prinsloo, the exhibit will also present a film featuring spoken word from the spiritual leader of the Seminole Tribe, a fine art photography exhibition from Bobby Henry that includes portraits of tribe members, and the tribe’s cultural sites and landscapes.

“Seminole Spirit is totally different than any type of normal shoot. This isn’t a project about fashion or trends, it is an art project with a really powerful story behind it,” Prinsloo says. “We were all so humbled to be in collaboration with the Seminole Tribe of Florida. […] This was definitely a project of passion for all of us with no shot count or designer label needed.”

Adds James, “I hope to engage people to look at this and understand this culture as not something that is gathering dust in the closet, but to realize that tribes and indigenous people are using culture to their great advantage, to maintain their identity.”

Anne adds:

Describing her experience with the Seminole people, Behati Prinsloo says: “We painted my body gold as we tried to capture an idea we had of what ‘Seminole Spirit’ is . . I felt like a savage swamp mermaid on Seminole land, crazy.”

In describing herself as a mermaid, Behati channels the key theme of female goddess history, establishing herself in the sisterhood of Mami Wati’s born in Africa before travelling the globe — often on the slave ships as a source of comfort and solace in brutal conditions.

AOC is dancing as fast as we can on this one, because ‘Seminole Spirit’ goes to the very essence of our identity and purpose. Lots more is coming. ~ Anne

Eye 2-2-15 | Mami Wata Resurgence As Global Goddess | 55,000 Years-Old Female Skull Provides Critical Link In Human Evolution & Migration Out of Africa

Eggdoodler's 'Africa' Egg Sculptures Inspire Talk On Rhino, Giraffe & Elephant Extinction

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Eggdoodler’s ‘Africa’ Egg Sculptures Inspire Talk On Rhino, Giraffe & Elephant Extinction

Deviant Artist eggdoodler carves incredible sculptures out of delicate egg shells. In this series entitled ‘Africa’, eggdoodler uses large ostrich eggs to sculpt an elephant, a giraffe and a rhinoceros. To achieve this incredible detail and removal of so much shell, the artist used a NSK Presto hand piece with diamond and carbide bits. About 1,000 hours of labor is required to sculpt these magnificent eggs.

AOC is devoted to elephant preservation in Africa and we have written extensively on saving the elephants. We know much less about rhinos and giraffes.