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Elli Shclunke, the winner of the People’s Choice Award at last years (2017) Sculpture On The Edge award describes the ideas behind her hugely popular sculpture:

“My reaction to the current world situation is that I seem to prefer innocent animals to humans these days. Bringing on a smile seems so essential these days.

I’ve been working with stripped-out wires for a few years now and after building my woolly mammoth, I needed a subject that would be equally exciting for me – after all, it’s a big long commitment to make furred creatures hair by hair, and needs a lot of passion. 

The Highland Cow has always been one of my favourite creatures so it fit the bill perfectly. They are so Scottish, so hardy, so short-legged and oh so furry. I also love the way cows always stare at you when you try to take a side-on photo of them. 

Collecting all the necessary telephone and other cords to recycle has been the biggest challenge, not to mention the countless months it takes to strip them out and latch them on. I started this cow in February 2016 and have had to fit it in between other commitments. The process becomes a form of meditation. The fine wires are a great medium because they have a mind of their own and the colours are gorgeous.”

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