Giraffe About Town: vibrant and topical artwork produces powerful message on Shandwick Place

Edinburgh Zoo’s Giraffe About Town project continues to dazzle and delight the people of Edinburgh, with 42 giant colourful giraffes taking a month long residence in the capital streets.

Let us know what you think and join the conversation at the bottom of this article.

The unique art trail will run until August 29, before the majestic mammals are auctioned off in September to raise funds for the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS).

For the next month we will introduce you these impressive creatures, their story and where you can spot them.

Laura Henderson is a freelance illustrator based in Glasgow.

Today we feature The Earth is What We All Have in Common, which can be found on Shandwick Place.

This striking sculpture takes its name from a quote by the American writer and environmental activist, Wendell Berry.

Influenced by the author’s wise words, Glasgow-based artist, Laura Henderson, has featured a range of animals, flora and foliage in her design to show how beautiful and diverse the world is.

People who visit this bright, colourful sculpture will be able to see many beautiful animals from Edinburgh Zoo including a panda, tiger, penguin, flamingo and bear, as well as flowers and botanical elements that add additional pops of colour to the sculpture.

This vibrant sculpture depicts many animals that can be found at Edinburgh Zoo and uses an inspirational quote in the foreground to send home a hard hitting message.

Laura said that environmental and sustainability issues have become more of a focus in her work in recent years and she hopes that her eye-catching artwork will remind people that we all have to look after the environment to protect all life living on it.

Since graduating from the Glasgow School of Art in 2004, Laura has gone on to work for design agencies and worked as a freelance illustrator, producing designs for clients around the world.

The artist also runs her own online business, Paper Heart Stationery, and her work will also be on show at the Festival City Market in Waverley Market on August 6 – 7 and August 27-28.

This salient sculpture is proudly sponsored by Handelsbanken.

The Earth is What We All Have in Common is proudly sponsored by Swedish bank, Handelsbanken.

You can download the Giraffe About Town App to help you explore the trail and also be in with a chance to win prizes.

You can also add to the gallery of sculptures, vote for your favourite and track how far you have walked whilst doing the trail.

The app costs 89p with proceeds going to the RZSS.