In December 2019, the amazing Fiona Brambley from Here Magazine gently asked me if I was interested in a short-notice challenge: building a small wooden sculpture for the upcoming REP Youth Award. How could I say no to this gentle offering from my dear friend (even when I had no tools)? So, I started the year 2020 designing the piece, inspired on Beto Cortés' (Salchipulpo) beautiful logo, as well as on the concept explorations he provided.
So, I played around with the shapes, colors and translucency of the logo in order to create a cubist-like figure, which represents the youth awardees, whose enthusiasm and commitment brings colorful and inspiring light for change, always at the frontline supporting and supported by others (rooted in a shared history, they have one eye in the present and another in the future)
I bought the acrylic sheets, some secondhand tools (all I had was a hammer and a screwdriver), and set the personal challenge to build it from scratch with a portable drill, hand saws, a chisel, carpenter clamps borrowed from a caring neighbour, sandpaper and some small planks and rods of birch that I had from previous projects.
So, after a full week of hard and fun work, I delivered the piece to the 2nd Annual Better Together Gala (an incredible display of cultural talent from indigenous groups and newcomers in Canada), where the Major of Victoria Lisa Helps handled the award to the winner: Yamila Franco.