The Nonlife Zoo at Royal/T: Cute Dolls With Skull Faces & An Animal Graveyard

These little eco-friendly guys from The Nonlife Zoo were partying at Royal/T this weekend (they'll be there until August 23). See how the face resembles a skull? That's deliberate. The Nonlife Zoo is a project by two Asian designers known as Biaugust. The dolls are an exploration of the idea that humans are screwing up the world for animals. For instance, human activities have resulted in the extinction of 736 species. The dolls are being sold for $45 a pop. They come in four varieties so far: elephant, tiger, chicken, and giraffe.

This is the animal graveyard. Can you guess what each of those ceramic dolls represents?

They are tombstones. Each represents one extinct species.

That's a walrus with oil slicked over its head. Those two antelopes on the right have their antlers cut off. The ones with handles represent alligator purses.

These very large versions of the dolls are meant to convey animals rising up against humans. They've taken on the size of humans, as well as human-like poses.

This is a little keychain with an eco-tote tucked inside. So you have no excuses at the grocery store.

The dolls are being manufactured by design house Molla Space, owned by Jeff Liu (in photo above). A portion of the profits from sales of the dolls goes towards wildlife conservation.

This is Susan Hancock, the owner of Royal/T, who has just about the best taste in art. She was going to drive this cart around the gallery and give people rides, but at the last minute decided it might be a bit too dangerous. Yes, those are donuts in the back.

In the end, I bought the tiger. But it was a tough decision. They're all adorable and upsetting in their own special way.