An Abbotsford artist's most recent sculpture has been accepted for the Artists for Conservation's annual juried exhibit.
Tony Mayo's piece titled Octopus Teacher will be displayed at the AFC's international exhibition, which premieres Sept. 19 to 22 with the AFC Festival at VanDusen Botanical Garden in Vancouver.
The event features artists from 14 countries in what is described as "the world's top juried conservation-themed art exhibit."
The exhibit will also tour internationally and is available to cultural and scientific institutions.
Mayo's piece was sculpted in lime-green stone from India. The eyes are carved from fibre-optic glass, and the base is a piece of Canadian big-leaf maplewood.
Mayo said he was inspired to create the sculpture after watching a documentary about octopuses.
“These animals are so intelligent and amazing, I must make a sculpture of one," he thought at the time.
He then chose a stone to craft the piece, and didn't realize it was semi-translucent until he washed it and noticed sunlight shining through the edges.
Mayo produces both two- and three-dimensional works of fine art in his Abbotsford studio. He doesn't use power tools in his work, and often makes his own tools to perform specific tasks.
He has travelled to more than 100 countries, studying endangered human cultures and collecting rare and exotic materials which he incorporates into his artwork.
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