Akana
Akana
From 2022 to 2023, I lived in Honduras, where I visited a bird rescue, rehabilitation, and release center in Copán. The center cared for various species of macaws—bright, bold creatures with a presence that felt almost otherworldly. Being near them, watching them recover, call out, and stretch their wings, was a powerful experience.
To the Maya, macaws were far more than beautiful birds. They carried deep spiritual meaning—symbols of sunlight, sky, life force, and sacred communication. Their feathers weren’t just decoration—they were alive with energy, with the essence of something vast and ancient.
When I returned to the States, I knew I had to create something that spoke to that experience. Akana is that piece. The name means the power or ability, a light breeze, or gentle wind. It’s a sculpture born from the idea that true power can be both bold and quiet—that spirit can move not only through fire and noise, but through air and silence.
Akana is a mask, a tribute, and a meditation. It asks what it means to honor the natural world—not as ornament, but as sacred. And it imagines what spirituality might look like in a place or time where humans and birds still speak the same language.
Constructed from galvanized steel wire, aluminum sheet metal, repurposed materials, and an antique wooden frame.
32.5”Hx25.75”Wx4”D
Akana
From 2022 to 2023, I lived in Honduras, where I visited a bird rescue, rehabilitation, and release center in Copán. The center cared for various species of macaws—bright, bold creatures with a presence that felt almost otherworldly. Being near them, watching them recover, call out, and stretch their wings, was a powerful experience.
To the Maya, macaws were far more than beautiful birds. They carried deep spiritual meaning—symbols of sunlight, sky, life force, and sacred communication. Their feathers weren’t just decoration—they were alive with energy, with the essence of something vast and ancient.
When I returned to the States, I knew I had to create something that spoke to that experience. Akana is that piece. The name means the power or ability, a light breeze, or gentle wind. It’s a sculpture born from the idea that true power can be both bold and quiet—that spirit can move not only through fire and noise, but through air and silence.
Akana is a mask, a tribute, and a meditation. It asks what it means to honor the natural world—not as ornament, but as sacred. And it imagines what spirituality might look like in a place or time where humans and birds still speak the same language.
Constructed from galvanized steel wire, aluminum sheet metal, repurposed materials, and an antique wooden frame.
32.5”Hx25.75”Wx4”D