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Douglas Aja
Douglas Aja has been sculpting African wildlife since the late 1990s. Since that time he donates a portion of the sales proceeds to various conservation organizations as well as donates sculptures for fund raising events. Though he sculpts a variety of species, he specializes in the African elephant. Many elephants are known individuals from Amboseli National Park in Kenya. He has been a longtime supporter of Amboseli Trust for Elephants (ATE), ElephantVoices and The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (DSWT). In 2015 he donated a bronze sculpture (Orphans) to DSWT for a fund raising event hosted at London's Landmark Hotel. Recently he has begun supporting Action for Cheetahs in Kenya (ACK) and Laikipia Wildlife Forum (LWF). In 2015, he designed and sculpted three bas relief plaques for Laikipia Wildlife Forum. These plaques are given to LWF donors in their highest three donor categories. Aja's bronze sculptures are in the private collections of elephant researchers Cynthia Moss and Joyce Poole, wildlife cinematographer Martyn Colbeck, the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, the Bennington Center for the Arts and NBA great and Basketball Hall of Famer, Sam Jones.
Traveling to Africa for the first time in 1978, Doug took part in a wilderness education program with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). There he studied wilderness and mountaineering skills, outdoor leadership, minimum impact camping and Kenya's culture. He continues to visit East Africa regularly to take photos, gather reference material and to further his knowledge and understanding of his subjects. He often backpacks on Mount Kenya, through Maasailand and has climbed Kilimanjaro.
Artists Affiliations
Signature Member: Society of Animal Artists (SAA)
Signature Member: Artists for Conservation (AFC)
Elected Member: National Sculpture Society (NSS)
Fellow: American Artists Professional League (AAPL)
Elected Member: Allied Artists of America (AAA)
Artists Against Extinction
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Support for Conservation:
Supporter of Amboseli Trust for Elephants, Elephant Voices, David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, Action for Cheetahs in Kenya and Laikipia Wildlife Forum.
2015: Harambee 2015 DSWT fundraiser
Donated bronze "Orphans". Sold for $3,800.
2015: Laikipia Wildlife Forum
Donated time designing and sculpting three bas relief plaques for LWF's highest three donor categories; Kifaru, Ndovu and Simba. These plaques will be cast at Kim Bronze Sculptures Studio.
2015: Donated Cheetah sculptures to Action for Cheetahs in Kenya
2009: October; Fundraiser for Elephants and ElephantVoices with Dr. Joyce Poole. Presented by the Los Angeles Alliance for Elephants. Donated bronze elephant "Battle Weary". Donated photographs; "Echo" and " Through the Shadows".
2008: October; Fundraiser for Elephants and ElephantVoices with Dr. Joyce Poole. Donated bronze elephant "Echo & Calf".
Special Achievements:
- Awards
Sculpture
Society of Animal Artists: Art and the Animal 2017, 57th Annual Members Exhibition: Award of Excellence, Football Buddies
Artists for Conservation: Conservation Artist of the Month for January, 2017
American Artists Professional League: 89th Grand National Exhibition 2017: Blick Art Materials Award, Orphans
The Miniature Art Society of Florida (MASF) 42nd Annual International Miniature Art Show, 2017; Second Place Birds & Animals; Elephant Calf
Heartland Art Guild:13th Annual International Miniature Art Show 2017 Honorable Mention; Elephant Calf
Artists for Conservation: The Art of Conservation Exhibition 2016; Medal of Excellence; Football Buddies
American Artists Professional League: 88th Grand National Exhibition 2016, Kathryn Thayer Hobson Award; Football Buddies
Academic Artists Association 66th Annual National Exhibition of Traditional Realism 2016; Academic Artists Excellence Award; Mourning Erin
The Miniature Art Society of Florida (MASF) 41st Annual International Miniature Art Show, 2016; Second Place Sculpture; Fleeing Gazelle
St Augustine Art Association. 7th Annual Nature and Wildlife Exhibit 2016; Honorable Mention; Dionysus
Heartland Art Guild: 12th Annual International Miniature Art Show 2016; Honorable Mention; Fleeing Gazelle
American Artists Professional League: Portrait Theme Show 2016; Technique/Skill Award; Elephant Keeper
Allied Artists of American Annual Exhibition 2015: Elliot Liskin Memorial Award; Wallow
Laumeister Fine Art Competition, Bennington Center for the Arts: Honorable Mention 2015; Ungainly Grace
The Miniature Painters, Sculptors & Gravers Society of Washington, D.C.: 82nd Annual International Exhibition of Fine Art in Miniature, 2015; First Place; Fleeing Gazelle
Heartland Art Guild: 11th Annual International Miniature Art Show 2015; Special Award for Sculpture; Cheetah Cub
American Artists Professional League: Sculpture Theme Show 2015; Degree of Difficulty Award; Locked In Battle
Society of Animal Artists: Art and the Animal 2014, 54th Annual Members Exhibition: The Marilyn Newmark Memorial Award for Realistic Sculpture; Orphans
American Artists Professional League: 86th Grand National Exhibition 2014, Frank C. Wright Medal of Honor; Mourning Erin
Seaside Art Gallery: 23rd International Miniature Art Show, 2014 Best Sculpture/Metal; Elephant Keeper
Wildscape Magazine: Winner, Professional Category & Wildlife Artist of the Year 2011; Mourning Erin
Laumeister Fine Art Competition, Bennington Center for the Arts: Honorable Mention 2010; Locked In Battle
Artists for Conservation: The Art of Conservation Exhibition 2009: Wildscape Award, Editor’s Choice Runner-up; Final Warning
Chaffee Center for the Arts: 42nd Member’s Show 2003, Connie Smith Memorial Award; In His Prime
Photography Awards
Wildscape Magazine: First Place: Photography Competition 2011, Black & White Category; Portrait of Echo
Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2008: Semi-finalist; Portrait of Echo
Chaffee Center for the Arts: 44nd Member’s Show 2005, Merit Award; Portrait of Echo
- Major Exhibitions
SSociety of Animal Artists
Annual Members Exhibition: Art and the Animal: 2008, 2011, 2014, 2016, 2017
Member's Show and Sale at Trailside Galleries, 2017
"OUT OF AFRICA" SAA/African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) Sale Show, 2016
Artists for Conservation
The Art of Conservation Exhibition: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
National Sculpture Society
79th Annual Awards Exhibition 2012
84th Annual Awards Exhibition 2017
Performance in Sculpture exhibition at the David A. Straz Center for the Performing Arts in Tampa, Florida 2013-2015, 2017-2019
Bennington Center for the Arts
Art of the Animal Kingdom: 2000, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015
Wildscapes: 2016, 2017
Laumeister Fine Art Competition: 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
Collective Members’ Show 2017
Small Works Show: 2014, 2015
American Artists Professional League
86th Grand National Exhibition 2014
87th Grand National Exhibition 2015
88th Grand National Exhibition 2016
89th Grand National Exhibition 2017
Sculpture Theme Show 2015
Portrait Theme Show 2016
Allied Artists of America
102nd Annual Exhibition 2015
103rd Annual Exhibition 2016
104th Annual Exhibition 2017
Academic Artists Association
66th Annual National Exhibition of Traditional Realism 2016
67th Annual National Exhibition of Traditional Realism 2017
St Augustine Art Association
7th Annual Nature and Wildlife Exhibit 2016
8th Annual Nature and Wildlife Exhibit 2017
Art Renewal Center
8th International A.R.C. Salon Competition: 2011/2012 Finalist
13th International ARC Salon Competition 2017/2018 Finalist
Audubon Artists
2017 Audubon Artists 75th Exhibition
ENDANGERED Art and Photography Contest
Art4apes 2014
Art4apes 2015
Art4apes 2016
Art4apes 2017
The Miniature Painters, Sculptors & Gravers Society of Washington, D.C. (MPSGS)
80th Annual International Exhibition of Fine Art in Miniature, 2013
81st Annual International Exhibition of Fine Art in Miniature, 2014
82nd Annual International Exhibition of Fine Art in Miniature, 2015
83rd Annual International Exhibition of Fine Art in Miniature, 2016
84rd Annual International Exhibition of Fine Art in Miniature, 2017
The Miniature Art Society of Florida (MASF)
39th Annual International Miniature Art Show, 2014
40th Annual International Miniature Art Show, 2015
41st Annual International Miniature Art Show, 2016
42nd Annual International Miniature Art Show, 2017
43rd Annual International Miniature Art Show, 2018
Seaside Art Gallery
23rd International Miniature Art Show, 2014
24th International Miniature Art Show, 2015
25th International Miniature Art Show, 2016
26th International Miniature Art Show, 2017
Heartland Art Guild
11th Annual International Miniature Art Show 2015
12th Annual International Miniature Art Show 2016
13th Annual International Miniature Art Show 2017
Art Kudos
13th annual online juried competition 2017
Vermont Institute of Natural Science
Solo Show 2011-2012
Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Semi-finalist 2008
Bill Jordan Wildlife Defense Fund
Featured Wildlife Artist: "The HeART of Wildlife Defense", Madison Wisconsin, 2005
Holland & Holland Art Gallery, New York City,
Group show: 2003
Wild Wings
Art Festival: Minnesota 2003
Collections:
Publications:
- Contemporary Wildlife Art (2015)
More about Contemporary Wildlife Art
Douglas Aja is one of the wildlife artists represented in Contemporary Wildlife Art. - Over 360 spectacular art pieces are accompanied by personal statements from 74 artists in this curated selection of contemporary works. The artists, who come from across the United States, and from places such as New Zealand, Australia, and the United Kingdom, all convey their respect, enthusiasm, and personal connections to wildlife. A wide range of styles and media is covered including photography, glass, relief woodcarving, mosaics, pastels, oil, watercolor and acrylic painting, bronzes, stoneware, terracotta and porcelains, ink, graphite and colored pencil, digital illustration, felted sculpture and fabric collage, and more. Examples of wildlife presented are bears, birds, elephants, monkeys, pandas, tigers, foxes, wolves, owls, seals, and even insects. This book is a great gift for wildlife and nature enthusiasts, interior designers, museums, art collectors, art educators, and artists.
Author: Cindy Ann Coldiron
Published by: Schiffer Publishing, Ltd.
- Sculpture Review, Spring 2015 edition (2015)
AFC members Douglas Aja and Rosetta were featured in the Sculpture Review article "Healing Art, Aid for the Animals of Africa." -
Author: Jodie A. Shull
Published by: National Sculpture Society
Organization Membership:
Signature Member: Society of Animal Artists (SAA)
Signature Member: Artists for Conservation (AFC)
Elected Member: National Sculpture Society (NSS)
Fellow: The American Artists Professional League (AAPL)
Artists Against Extinction
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