USA
Makkeweks
2019
Hand-carved cork original sculpture cast in bronze with stainless steel armature
488 x 275 x 244 cm
This sculpture is a celebration of the successful restoration of Lake Merritt to its origins as a tidal estuary and the subsequent return of native fauna, an emblem of local environmental activism and resiliency in the face of climate change and species decline. This sculpture depicts a fantastical sea monster inspired by an Ohlone, Native American folktale. Makkeweks is situated in a sunken “rain garden” of reeds that collect urban runoff. When the reeds mature, the sea monster will appear to hover amidst the greenery; in the rainy season, it will appear to swim as the garden fills with rainwater.
