Kindred Spirits' sculpture, Bailic Park, Midleton
Feather Sculpture Pays Tribute to Native American Generosity to Irish During the Great Famine
In the small town of Midleton in County Cork, Ireland, there’s a sculpture that commemorates the Choctaw Nation’s contribution of $170, which is the equivalent of around $5,000 today titled Kindred Spirits. Created by Cork-based artist Alex Pentek, the magnificent, six-meter-tall sculpture is made of stainless steel. It features a series of giant metal feathers that symbolize the feathers used in Choctaw ceremonies. The pieces are arranged in a circle to represent the shape of an empty bowl—a common image for the Irish people who suffered during the famine. Pentak says, “I wanted to show the courage, fragility, and humanity that they displayed in my work.”
(Photos via Mike Searle, (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Kindred Spirits' sculpture, Bailic Park, Midleton
