DO NOT PULL THE TAIL

2024

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This piece explores the uneasy relationship between humans and animals—the tension between domestication and freedom, care and control. A suspended tail, made of cat hair and finished with horsehair, hangs in stillness. Beneath it, scattered fur balls resemble animal droppings—both playful and unsettling.

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The cat hair comes from my own cat, once captured in the garden of my home. The horsehair recalls the carriage horses of New York City, endlessly looping through Central Park—and the protests that rise against their continued exploitation.

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I question the complex relationship we have with animals: how we coexist, how we share ecosystems, and how we assign roles. Domestication may seem like care, but it is also a form of power. Where do we draw the line between attention and domination? Between living together and taking control? What does respect for animals truly mean, and how do we embody it?

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This work asks: What happens when we pull the tail—when we impose our will, reshape nature, or confuse affection with authority? What are the consequences, and what traces do we leave behind?