Folklore in many cultures tells of the inexplicable link between the physical and the spiritual worlds, and the creatures that move between them. They are the Shape-Shifters, who have both human and animal traits, complex emotion and character, and magical power. The characters in this series are inspired by these fables, re-imagining them as guardians of nature and those who live in it.

I created this series starting in 2010, technically to hone my skills in sculpting with porcelain clay, and artistically to bring to life characters in stories that I read growing up in Asia, such as the fox, the raccoon dog, the frog, the hog and the bird man (Tengu). The bear comes from Native American, and the badger from German. Others, the dog and the echidna, are my invention. Conspicuously absent in the series are the monkey and the cat. The former I am still working on, and the latter appears as characters in my Rain Dancer series.