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As symbols of strength and wisdom, elephants are deeply woven into the cultural and ecological fabric of our subcontinent. Remarkably, even as India’s human population has doubled over the last three decades, so have its populations of elephants, tigers, lions, and rhinos. This coexistence is perhaps most evident in the Nilgiri Hills, where 150 elephants live in harmony with a quarter of a million people, sharing the same land, food, and water.
But this relationship isn't accidental. It is a result of intergenerational knowledge, spiritual reverence for nature, and innovations ranging from AI-based monitoring systems to the collective will to respect other forms of life. It is this story of harmony between humans and wildlife that lies at the heart of The Great Elephant Migration, an ambitious 5,000-mile travelling art installation across the United States featuring 100 life-size elephant sculptures.
Each sculpture is handcrafted by The Real Elephant Collective, a community of 200 Indigenous artisans from the Bettakurumba, Paniya, Kattunayakan, and Soliga tribes of southern India’s Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. Sculpted from lantana camara, one of the world’s most invasive and ecologically destructive weeds, these elephants are as much an act of ecological restoration as they are a visual and cultural gesture. By transforming lantana into art, the Collective not only restores vital forest corridors but also revitalizes traditional craft, centering Indigenous knowledge as key to conservation.
Now, as the Migration reaches its final stop in Beverly Hills, this extraordinary odyssey is marked by a ceremonial textile initiative curated by acclaimed Indian designer Vikram Goyal called 'Wrapped in History'. Unveiled on June 27 at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, the project comprises over 70 handcrafted blankets contributed by 55 celebrated designers and Indigenous communities from across the world. The symbolism of the blanket — an object that carries warmth, memory, and meaning—resonates deeply with Indigenous traditions, where textiles often serve as vessels of ancestral knowledge, cultural identity, and spiritual continuity.
Vikram, known for his repoussé metalwork and his pioneering role in reviving Indian craft traditions, brings his deeply intellectual and materially sensitive approach to Wrapped in History. Every piece in the collection is a work of reverence created in dialogue with themes of land, memory, and kinship. Participating designers span the global design and fashion spectrum — from Ralph Lauren, Sabyasachi, and Diane von Furstenberg to Collina Strada, Dhaage, Dhruv Kapoor and Ozwald Boateng. Indigenous contributors include the Navajo Nation, Osage Nation, Snoqualmie Tribe, and the Maasai, among others.
As The Great Elephant Migration reaches its final destination, Wrapped in History becomes a reminder that the future of conservation lies not only in science and policy, but in culture, in memory, and in how we choose to represent our relationships with the natural world. In the hands of artisans, designers, and Indigenous communities, the blanket becomes both offering and argument — one that insists on empathy, reciprocity, and the value of shared space.
These ceremonial blankets will be auctioned on Artsy from July 18 to August 1, 2025, with proceeds supporting over 20 conservation NGOs working globally to enable human-wildlife coexistence. The public will also have the opportunity to experience the collection in person, draped over the elephants during Festival Beverly Hills on July 20.
