Self portrait by an elephant is exhibited at Edinburgh

By KRISTINA PEDERSEN, Daily Mail

Last updated at 17:27 20 July 2006


With brush strokes that could easily be thought to belong to a famous artist, there is something very becoming about this portrait.

The graceful curve of the trunk and the proud look of it's profile give the impression a keen-eyed painter captured this elephant in it's natural habitat.

But infact the author is an elephant called Paya, who lives in a conservation centre in Thailand.

The elephants are taught to paint by a special trainer, who teaches them to hold a brush with their trunks and copy certain objects, including flowers, trees, and even the Thai flag.

The giant creatures, are taught to grab hold of the brush in their trunks and then pass it back to their keepers when they want to swap colours.

Experts believe that the elephants memorize the image which they can then 'paint by rote' over and over again.

It is not known if the elephants are aware they are painting themselves.

The works are being exhibited at an art gallery in Edinburgh.

Victoria Khunapramot, who ships the paintings over from Thailand to sell, said: "I sell them for £250 and a portion of that money goes towards the conservation centre."

The 26-year-old art dealer hopes her exhibition, at the Dundas Street Gallery, will raise awareness of these animals.

Miss Khunapramot said: "The money will help provide food for them as well as pay towards Mahoots, specially trained keepers who look after the same elephants for as long as they live."

She added: "The reaction has been amazing. People cannot believe that an elephant is capable of producing any kind of artwork, never mind a self-portrait.

"But they are very intelligent animals and create the entire paintings with great gusto and concentration within just five or ten minutes."

She added: "The only thing they cannot do on their own is pick up a paintbrush so it gets handed to them."

The elephants have been trained to paint in a bid to raise cash, from tourists, for their own upkeep and the conservation villages of Mae Sa and Lampang.

So far only Paya, the elephant, has mastered the art of self-portrait, while the others each have their own speciality.

Most watched News videos