wave o1

15’ x 3.5’ . |. C O M M I S S I O N | 2 0 2 1

In 2021 I was hired by the international firm, Afkar Architects, to create art curated by SD Supply & Design, for 3 walls in a set of villas on Jumeirah Bay Island in Dubai. This is the story of the inspiration, fabrication, and installation of wall sculpture # 3, titled WAVE o1.

The overall design idea for the 3 wall installations was the theme of nature, and wall #3 was about looking specifically at the ocean and the movements and shape of water. I settled on a wave design as I began my hunt for just the right elements to create it with. I had passed a tree everyday en route to my kid's school that had these massive, almost petrified looking seed pods hanging from its branches. So my awesome husband Chad and I grabbed a ladder and some pruning sheers and head out to the tree to collect bags fulls of these pods. After soaking, scrubbing, and clearing out the debris inside of each, I realized that the soft organic curve shapes of their bodies created a gentle flowing motion when laid out together. When the pods were arranged into groupings, they appeared as a moving puzzle of fish, darting in sequence, ebbing and flowing in unity, creating continuously morphing shapes in the water.

Once the pods were painted in the exact off-white of the Villa’s walls, each was filled, step by step, layer by layer with silver and blue resin, then white alcohol ink, liquid silicone oil, drops of liquid silver chrome, and finally silver metallic dust. Finally the pods were packed and shipped to Dubai for installation. Once I arrived in Dubai, the pods were laid out on a paper template on the floor, and then adhered onto a sketched template on the wall into the wave design. This installation was special in that it resided in a master bedroom facing the sparkling Persian Gulf. Catching the ocean’s actual waves glinting in the reflection of my sculptural wave (complimented by the reflection of Dubai’s twinkling city lights in the distance) was quite satisfying to me as the artist : ) I often create pieces inspired by the ocean, but rarely, if ever get to see them reflecting the actual seed of their inspiration