Manny the Moa

2023
2.2m high
PVC pipe, cable ties, fake fur, felt, batting, mix media.

This was a commission sculpture for artist Gary Baseman, for his exhibition Memento Moa, held at the Suter Gallery, Nelson. The puppet suit consists of leggings on suspenders made with a  PVC pipe frame. He headpiece is also made from a PVC frame and rests on the waist of the leggings. The puppet suit is batted with fake fur and mix media materials

“In Memento Moa, an exhibition of all new work, Gary Baseman creates a mythical land of hybrid creatures—exploring themes of migration, memory, and mortality.

Playing off the phrase “memento mori” which expresses the inevitability of death, Baseman reimagines Aotearoa New Zealand as a land of rebirth and harmony, bringing back the giant moa from extinction to symbolize those loved and now lost.”

Exhibited at
2018
Prague Doll Festival,
Prague, Czech Republic

2018
NIADA 54th Annual Show,
Asilomar, Monterrey,
California, USA