Caged Ducklings

Prints available

In the early morning hours of August 2, 2019, Alzayer made a public statement regarding US policy to separate children from their parents at the southern border with an adaptation to the famous “Make Way for Ducklings” statue in the Public Garden.

Here is her statement regarding the piece:

The Mallards are an iconic immigrant family in Boston. In the book, they moved here for a better life, they were looking for a place to stay. And if that were to happen during this climate today, this would be their fate. And since the statue of them is absolutely so beloved, it’s a powerful metaphor about who we get upset about caging and who we don’t.

Holding those mylar blankets was really what made it real for me. They may provide warmth, but they do so in the coldest way possible. The thing that’s comforting about being wrapped in a blanket is the weight of it, along with the warmth. And there is absolutely no weight to those things. And they’re loud. The crinkling sound they make is almost deafening when you’re wrapped up in one. You can’t think over the sound of it. And when I thought of children, ripped away from their parents, and given only this, it’s a lot to take in. It almost feels that these specific materials are used on purpose, to provide warmth yet without comfort.

The ducklings seem small and delicate, but the cages were enormous. And holding those materials in my hands really made me think even more about the wrongness of what we’re allowing to happen in our name, and with our taxpayer dollars at these so-called migrant detention centers. I prefer to call them concentration camps, because that’s what they are.

I went by early Friday morning and saw that my installation had already been removed. And I think it’s interesting that the ducks can wear Easter bonnets, Red Sox hats, and Pats jerseys, but when it comes to what their real fate might be in this country as immigrants, it’s erased pretty quickly rather than opening up a conversation about that. And I think it speaks volumes about how quickly we can free someone who is caged when we think it’s important to do so.

Press

Featured in the book Ducks on Parade! edited by Nancy Schön

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bostons-duckling-statues-put-in-cages-to-protest-migrant-detention-centers/

https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2019/08/02/make-way-for-ducklings-statue-cages

https://www.wgbh.org/news/local-news/2019/08/02/local-artist-cages-make-way-for-ducklings-statue-to-protest-child-detention-centers

https://www.jewishboston.com/make-way-for-ducklings-sculpture-briefly-embodies-political-statement/

https://www.wcvb.com/article/cages-placed-around-make-way-for-ducklings-statue-in-boston-public-garden-to-protest-detention-centers/28592902

https://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/2019/08/02/boston-common-ducklings-cages/

https://whdh.com/news/local-artist-cages-make-way-for-ducklings-statue-to-protest-migrant-detention-centers/

https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/455975-boston-artist-adds-cages-to-duck-statues-in-immigration-protest

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/immigration/2019/08/ducks-in-detention.html

https://gregcookland.com/wonderland/2019/08/07/duckling-protest/

https://everettindependent.com/2019/08/15/i-had-to-say-it-alzayer-brings-attention-to-border-situation-using-ducklings/

http://www.bu.edu/articles/2019/nancy-schon-sculptures-still-make-headlines/

Dedham Bunny Project

In 2018, Alzayer was chosen to decorate a 5-foot fiberglass rabbit sculpture as a fundraiser project for the Mother Brook Arts & Community Center in Dedham, MA. Alzayer named the piece “Penelope” and documented Penelope’s transformation on social media. “Penelope” was auctioned at MBACC’s annual fall fundraiser, and now resides in a private collection in Dedham, MA.

Drums

Animal skin drumheads stain beautifully with henna, and still remain playable after the paste is removed.

Here are some examples drums and tambourines that have been decorated by Karyn:

Commissions start at $100. Contact us if you’d like to add some henna inspiration to an instrument of yours!

Henna-style Bleaching

When I focus on applying designs to fabric, I draw with a bleach paste freehand, using a traditional henna cone. The color of the design itself is always a surprise since each piece of fabric reacts differently to the discharge paste. The type of fabric, kinds of dyes present, dye saturation, as well as the thickness of the bleach paste layer, and length of time it’s left on the fabric all have an effect on the end result. When the paste is washed away and the fabric dried, each item is truly one of a kind, and each final color a complete surprise when the bleaching agent is washed away.

All fabric items are 100% cotton and are made in the USA by workers who are paid a living wage and are provided health care and retirement benefits by their employer.  All items have been washed and dried after decorating, and your garment will arrive to you ready to wear/use.

See items I have available in my shop here, or contact me for a custom request.

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Wishing Wall for Everett

What’s your wish for Everett?

That’s a question Alzayer started asking residents with her traveling participatory piece “Wishing Wall for Everett.” Participants are invited to choose a colorful strip of fabric, make a wish, write their wish on the fabric, dip their fabric strip in the magical wishing well, and tie it on the wall so it can dry, setting the wish free to come true.

Traveling since July 2018, “Wishing Wall for Everett” has been collecting residents’ hopes and dreams, and it has slowly been filling up.

“Wishing Wall for Everett” is a traveling piece that makes appearances at various public city events throughout the year. Contact Alzayer if you’d like to see this piece at your next event.

Play Me, I'm Yours

Play Me I’m Yours, conceived by artist Luke Jerram, temporarily placed pianos bearing the phrase, “Play Me, I’m Yours,” publicly for passerby to enjoy. In 2016, Celebrity Series of Boston commissioned 60 artists, one of which was Alzayer, to each decorate a piano for Street Pianos Boston. Pianos were publicly available from September 23 to October 10, 2016.