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Extending the Circle of Compassion - Daisy the Calf

  • Extending the Circle of Compassion
    Daisy the Calf - Knife Sharpener


  • Fact -

    While slaughterhouses are required to meet a standards for cleanliness and humane treatment during slaughter, they are also in the business of killing animals: the faster the slaughter and butchering, the more meat produced and the more money made. Because of the pressure to slaughter animals quickly, mistakes that result in the violation of USDA regulations and lead to the mistreatment of the animals, unavoidably occur. In some slaughterhouses, almost 400 cattle per day are slaughtered, and at this speed it is "nearly impossible to guarantee each is slaughtered within the regulations". Cattle are ushered as quickly as possible from farm to truck to slaughter, sometimes resulting in injury. In addition, slaughterhouses have been reported as regularly failing to completely stun animals before the slaughtering process begins. This results in cows being hung and bled while they are still conscious.
    Source: www.sustainabletable.org/issues/animalwelfare/
  • Description-

    When people are enjoying meat, the objects in front of them are just ‘delicious food’. Steaks, for example, are “meat” instead of a part of a living creature. I attempted to create an ironic idea: what if the tragedies of the slaughterhouse were combined with our everyday kitchens? In addition, I named her ‘Daisy’ as an ordinary name for a female cattle, in order to personify her. The shape of Daisy is vivid and more importantly, users will have to face her innocent eyes as they sharpen. This prototype receives positive comments which encourages me to create more objects within similar concept.

    The first prototype has a blade on its back which is based on ordinary knife sharpeners found on the market. This position is simple and clear for the user. However, it does not reflect a typical slaughtering process in which the calf is killed by cutting the throat. In the second prototype, the position of the blade has been changed to mimic the traditional method. This creates a stronger impact and connection for users.

    This shows the dilemma that I have been faced with when positioning the blade: functional orientation or emotional impression? To solve this problem I asked myself where do I aim to locate my concept? What story does this product attempt to tell? To find out, I deployed the second prototype at the Castle St. Farmer’s Market. I observed that with the blade positioned at the neck, people felt as though they were killing a calf. Compared with the first prototype, which made less connection to reality, I found that the second prototype impacted the users and stimulated their emotions. Therefore, the concluding design features a blade on the neck.
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About Project
Have you ever thought how your life and your planet are being changed by your every bite? This project creates a juxtaposition of a kitchen to a … Read More
Have you ever thought how your life and your planet are being changed by your every bite? This project creates a juxtaposition of a kitchen to a company farm or a slaughterhouse, to remind users of the connection which is usually forgotten.

Meat, food products so intimate to many of us, but how many people care about its source and method of production? "Don't tell me, you'll spoil my dinner” is the usual reply to any attempt to explain the realities of meat production.


Hsu has researched today’s industrial farming system and the crucial and critical facts behind the meat industry, discovering countless cases of oppressive behaviour towards animals. In addition to animal cruelty, a number of additional negative impacts have resulted from modern methods of meat production, including global warming and a human health crisis.


Chickens, cattle and pigs - three well loved but at the same time cruelly treated animals have been developed into three kitchenware products, each given different functionality and meaning. Juxtaposing a kitchen with an industrial farm or slaughterhouse, users are reminded of the connection between meat and its source, which is often forgotten. Provided with each product is a booklet of illustrations, designed to enable consumers to comprehend a variety of facts and issues raised by the industrial system of food production. Read Less
Published: May 15, 2012
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