Roundabout trip... Kannika Ou is happy to be reunited with her sculpture Relica Phantasmagoria.By John Lewis
The Otago Daily Times (New Zealand)
Tuesday, 15th August 2006
An artist’s face was left several shades paler after a sculpture she put into storage in Dunedin was accidentally taken to a refuse site by a removal company.
Kannika Ou (25), of Wellington, said her sculpture of a Cambodian rickshaw, Relica Phantasmagoria, was put in storage with Best Removals Otago last year after she graduated from Otago Polytechnic with a degree in fine arts.
She stored it in Dunedin because she had been offered a place in an exhibition at Blue Oyster Gallery next week.
Ms Ou said the life-size sculpture was made from recycled materials from the Envirowaste station in Wickliffe St and was too large to easily transport to Wellington.
The sculpture was inspired by a souvenir of a rickshaw brought back from Cambodia by her father and took almost a year to make.
Ms Ou said she was devastated when she returned to Dunedin to prepare for next week’s exhibition to find the work had disappeared.
She believed the sculpture was accidentally sent to the Envirowaste station when the company’s premises moved from Willis St to Roberts St at the weekend.
“The sculpture was put in one of two big trucks. One had stuff that was to go to the new store; the other was filled with rubbish which was sent to the dump.
“I was just in shock. I thought, ‘Man, how could they lose it?’ I put loads of hours into making it and I was really upset.”
Envirowaste Services Ltd branch manager Kevin Edgar said it was fortunate the sculpture was not sold or picked up by customers after it was dropped off at the transfer station on Saturday.
“One man’s rubbish is another man’s treasure. It was lucky it wasn’t disposed of. It could have been gone forever.”
Mr Edgar said the rickshaw was put aside by an observant staff member who thought it was “obviously not to be disposed of ”.
Happily, an employee of Best Removals realised the company’s error and returned yesterday morning to retrieve the sculpture.
Miss Ou said staff at the removal company had been very helpful about finding the work of art.
Best Removals Otago declined to comment.
Despite the initial shock, Miss Ou said she was delighted the sculpture had been found. She was philosophical about the fright, saying it gave the work added value.
“I always think of the roundabout journey that the materials it is made of have been through.
“This sculpture has had an exciting journey a traceable journey. Now, it has value because of the story behind it. That’s pretty cool.”
Miss Ou said the sculpture was destined to be exhibited at the Blue Oyster Gallery next Wednesday.
Kannika Ou (25), of Wellington, said her sculpture of a Cambodian rickshaw, Relica Phantasmagoria, was put in storage with Best Removals Otago last year after she graduated from Otago Polytechnic with a degree in fine arts.
She stored it in Dunedin because she had been offered a place in an exhibition at Blue Oyster Gallery next week.
Ms Ou said the life-size sculpture was made from recycled materials from the Envirowaste station in Wickliffe St and was too large to easily transport to Wellington.
The sculpture was inspired by a souvenir of a rickshaw brought back from Cambodia by her father and took almost a year to make.
Ms Ou said she was devastated when she returned to Dunedin to prepare for next week’s exhibition to find the work had disappeared.
She believed the sculpture was accidentally sent to the Envirowaste station when the company’s premises moved from Willis St to Roberts St at the weekend.
“The sculpture was put in one of two big trucks. One had stuff that was to go to the new store; the other was filled with rubbish which was sent to the dump.
“I was just in shock. I thought, ‘Man, how could they lose it?’ I put loads of hours into making it and I was really upset.”
Envirowaste Services Ltd branch manager Kevin Edgar said it was fortunate the sculpture was not sold or picked up by customers after it was dropped off at the transfer station on Saturday.
“One man’s rubbish is another man’s treasure. It was lucky it wasn’t disposed of. It could have been gone forever.”
Mr Edgar said the rickshaw was put aside by an observant staff member who thought it was “obviously not to be disposed of ”.
Happily, an employee of Best Removals realised the company’s error and returned yesterday morning to retrieve the sculpture.
Miss Ou said staff at the removal company had been very helpful about finding the work of art.
Best Removals Otago declined to comment.
Despite the initial shock, Miss Ou said she was delighted the sculpture had been found. She was philosophical about the fright, saying it gave the work added value.
“I always think of the roundabout journey that the materials it is made of have been through.
“This sculpture has had an exciting journey a traceable journey. Now, it has value because of the story behind it. That’s pretty cool.”
Miss Ou said the sculpture was destined to be exhibited at the Blue Oyster Gallery next Wednesday.
1 comment:
What is Heng Soy's email address?
Need to contact him about articles on his blogspot
Post a Comment