Great Scotland Yard Hotel
The Great Scotland Yard Hotel, Westminster was the original home of London's Metropolitan Police and is now one of the city’s top luxury hotels. The hotel's rich history and hidden stories resonate with my affection for quirky tales. The opportunity to combine an intriguing 18th Century narrative with my love of elephants was a dream come true.
In 2019, I was commissioned to design and create a magnificent sculpture depicting the notorious 40 Elephant Gang for the hotel’s new bar of the same name. The 40 Elephant gang of women operated in London's West End during the late 18th Century, often shoplifting such large quantities of loot they were said to resemble elephants escaping. My work is dedicated to Alice Diamond, known as Diamond Annie, the one-time gang leader who wore diamond rings as knuckle-dusters.
The artistic process took months of calculation and research. Working with a recess of 2.5 metres and a width of only 23cm. I sourced the perfect pieces of ancient driftwood (some wood is over 1000 years old) picking pieces that would not overhang the recess but safely hold 40 elephants of all shapes and sizes.
Tucked away in a freezing London warehouse full of driftwood from the Jurassic shores of New Zealand, I spent countless hours looking for the perfect shapes of timeworn wood. Then came the elephants. Each of the 40 elephants is sculpted out of aluminium mesh, coated with a gold oil glaze and distressed with a mix of 24ct gold leaf and Fools Gold.
When it came to bringing the elephants to life, I used my love of these majestic creatures and extensive travels in Africa, Thailand and Sri Lanka studying elephants in their natural habitat to shape their movement. My goal was to communicate the depth of their behaviour and weave in the tale of 40 Elephant Gang.
The 40 elephants were placed in groups or alone, some chatting, some following each other, and some hidden. The Queen and Matriarch of the pride, Diamond Annie, is well hidden and on the run with a coat of silver leaf to differentiate her from the others.
For more information on the Great Scotland Yard Hotel please visit Hyatt.com.
My '40 Elephant Gang' sits proudly in the main bar of the hotel. Maybe I’ll join you there for a cocktail one day…