Tusk Rhino Trail charity auction at Christie’s raises £624,000
Ronnie Wood’s painted rhino is the star lot in a special Christie's sale that sets a record total for the charity tackling rhino poaching and the illegal wildlife trade
On 9 October, Christie’s hosted a highly successful auction at King Street to raise funds for Tusk, the conservation charity that works to protect these endangered animals last week. The event raised £624,000, surpassing any other fundraising event in the charity’s 28-year history.
Visitors to King Street were reminded of Tusk’s vital mission
Auctioneer Hugh Edmeades in action
Bidders competed for colourful fibre-glass resin rhinos that had been on view in public spaces around London during August and September as part of the Tusk Rhino Trail. The trail is a city-wide art installation, curated for the charity by Chris Westbrook.
All funds raised will go directly to support conservation work across Africa, including efforts to tackle rhino poaching and the illegal wildlife trade.
Jonathan Yeo’s rhino for Tusk. Photo: Tim Whitby/Getty
This year, 21 rhino sculptures were individually painted, embellished and decorated by a range of artists including Jonathan Yeo, Gavin Turk, Zhang Huan, Marc Quinn, and Jake and Dinos Chapman. The rhino sculptures made appearances in Covent Garden, Trafalgar Square, Carnaby Street, Marble Arch and Kensington Gardens.
The star lot of the auction was Ronnie Wood’s rhino sculpture, painted in collaboration with his two-year-old twins, Alice and Gracie. Wood’s work raised £200,000 for the charity, the rhino sold for £100,000 with a pledge for a further £100,000 for another version being made for the underbidder.
Gavin Turk’s Tusk rhino comes under the hammer
The auction was timed to coincide with the International Conference on the Illegal Wildlife Trade, which brought world leaders to London to discuss ways to end the global trade of illegal wildlife.
Christie’s has supported the Rhino Tusk Trail event since inception. The company does not sell any items which include rhino horn, nor do we accept hunting trophies from endangered species.
Discover more about Tusk’s conservation work and how the funds will be put to use, and visit #TuskRhinoTrail for all the Tusk Rhino Trail news.