"Airplane" Karesse Wilkey

Karesse Wilkey, Fort Smith, AR
Airplane, 2026
Mixed media, polymer clay
8 x 8 x 8”

In this piece, I focus on the theme of "Common Ground" by attempting to build connections across boundaries and across species. I want the viewer to see themselves and pieces of their own lives through the eyes of smaller creatures. The depiction of a parent frog playfully engaging with their tadpole child in a game of "Airplane" stirs up memories of childhood wonder and love in the hopes of getting humans to show the same compassion they would towards another human to other living creatures, no matter how small. This piece is a reminder of how we are socially raised to perceive things that are different from us as "others", but no matter how different these others appear on the surface, they still exist the same on this planet through their own rich inner, personal worlds; they have mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, and are just as worthy of living peacefully upon the Earth as we are. Too often I see humans take other living things for granted or feel the need to display their power over animals and insects alike, treating them as subordinate and disrespectfully in the process. At the end of the day, it's important to remember that a life is a life—we all have this in common. We have all been small, fragile beings at one point in time and are all equally deserving of respect, compassion, and love. We need "others" as much as they need us. Through this piece, I hope you are able to put yourself in the shoes of other living things—all creatures big and small—and grant them, as well as people who you might perceive as "others", the same respect and acceptance you'd want for yourself in return. It is only through love, not hatred, that we will grow stronger together.