“The vision of 100 hand-made Indian elephants migrating across America in my mind, is a monumental, cinematic and moving work of performance art. Each elephant is a sculpture of a real elephant with its own name that coexists with the Indigenous communities in the Nilgiri Hills of Southern India. I see these elephant sculptures descending from the superb 16th to 18th Century Royal elephant portrait paintings, where every elephant had its own name.”
Dodie Kazanjian,
Curator, The Great Elephant Migration,
Vogue US
The Migration
The Great Elephant Migration is a global fundraising adventure to uplift Indigenous knowledge and inspire the human race to share space.
Over the course of one year, the 100-strong herd is making its way across the U.S., transforming urban spaces and bringing its message of coexistence to communities in Newport, NYC, Miami Beach, Jackson Hole, Blackfeet Nation, and finally, Los Angeles, where their 5,000-mile symbolic journey will culminate.
A collaboration between Indigenous artisans, contemporary artists, and cultural institutions, the migration honors and amplifies the wisdom of Indigenous peoples—custodians of the world’s last remaining wild places and the deep ecological knowledge that goes with them. The migration has also raised millions of dollars to power human-wildlife coexistence projects that protect migratory animals making spectacular journeys across rivers, skies, and oceans.
Ceremonial Blankets
In Indigenous communities around the world, blankets hold profound significance. They represent a connection to ancestors, the land, and the community. They are woven with intricate patterns that tell stories of identity, culture, and spiritual beliefs.
As the herd migrates toward the finish line this summer, we are inviting leading designers and Indigenous groups around the world to add their creativity to this endeavor by crafting a blanket that will be wrapped around an elephant in First Nation tradition.
Your design will be part of a collective effort to celebrate our animal relatives, with all funds raised through their sale being shared among 21 pioneering conservation projects.
The blankets will be showcased in a high-profile exhibition during the closing celebration on June 27 in Los Angeles and will be covered by Vogue US.
Blanket Specs
The elephants come in four main sizes and blankets are required for all. The category of elephant you wish to design a blanket for is up to you. Below, you’ll find the size guidelines to help guide your design process:
500cm x 229cm
410cm x 220cm
300cm x 160cm
156cm x 93cm
Delivery and Timelines
To feature in the exhibition on the 27th, please ensure your blanket will reach us on or before Friday 20th June.
Shipping Address:
Seko Logistics, FAO The Great Elephant Migration,
21950 Arnold Center Rd, Carson, CA 90810
Contributing Designers
Artists and Designers
Sabyasachi
Diane von Furstenberg
Tarun Tahiliani
Emporio Sirenuse
Chantecaille
Indigenous Groups
The Maasai
Blackfeet Nation
Soliga Tribe
Bettakurumba Tribe
Kattunayakan Tribe
Paniya Tribe
Osage Nation
Navajo Nation
Snoqualmie Tribe
“I’m very to be a Matriarch of The Great Elephant Migration. Audacious and exceptional voices who incite fierce protection of wildness not only around single species but for all life are lacking around the world. Every category we humans use to communicate with one another is essential and art and scale are both powerful and impossible to ignore. These giant, beautiful beings touring the world speak louder and more profoundly than any orator or activist can possibly be.” Kris Tompkins
