At the Bondi Pavilion Gallery, the exhibition will run from 19 November – 1 December 2019, and is designed to challenge the general public’s perception of farmed animals by presenting them as someone, not just something. All portraits are available to purchase with profits going to Where Pigs Fly Farm Sanctuary to assist in its ongoing rescue and outreach work. Founder Debbie Pearce says:
“WE ARE TRYING TO GIVE FACES TO FARMED ANIMALS; EVERY SINGLE ANIMAL AT THE SANCTUARY HAS A NAME AND A UNIQUE PERSONALITY. MOST OF SOCIETY RARELY THINK ABOUT THE FARMED ANIMALS THEY ARE CONSUMING. WE DO NOT CONSIDER WHO THESE ANIMALS WERE, HOW THEY LIVED THEIR LIVES OR HOW THEY DIED. WE ARE INDIFFERENT TO THEIR SUFFERING AND DEATH.”
Not-for-profit and registered charity, Where Pigs Fly provide care and shelter to farmed animals in need. Located in the Lower Hunter Valley, it is currently home to more than 100 rescued residents across 100 acres of prime pasture who have been rescued from abuse, neglect, abandonment and inevitable slaughter.
At the heart of the Sanctuary’s mission is the hands-on work of rescuing, rehabilitating and caring for these animals who have had nowhere else to go until now.‘I Am Someone’ features some of the farms most iconic animal members. The series of work shot by award-winning photographer Gary Sheppard, sees 34 images featuring 29 different animals of emotive portraits of rescued farmed animals. Sheppard’s powerful and thought-provoking images feature rescue cows, pigs, donkeys, goats, ducks, turkeys, sheep, horses and hens from the Where Pigs Fly Farm Sanctuary, which have been cleverly shot in a studio-style setting to show the animals as beautiful, sentient beings who deserve greater empathy and compassion from society. The fine art photographic exhibition featuring Valentine (a rescued male calf), Wilbur ( a pig rescued on day of slaughter) and Gertie (an orphaned lone goat). For more information, go to Where Pigs Fly I am Someone Exhibition.