· By Kurt Le
A tribute to heritage and culture
For the longest time, I've been thinking about making sculpts that honor and celebrate diverse cultures around the globe, so I can pay tribute to the countries that my friends come from. Also, this craft has allowed me to learn from people all over the world, which is something that I cherish, and want to show appreciation for.
Inspiration is a funny thing. It could come from out of nowhere, in all kinds of shapes and sizes. The other day I was watching with my daughter a short wildlife documentary which showed an elephant's motherly interactions with her baby, and somehow that touched upon a lot of memories and emotions.
First, it reminded me of a hobby that I pursued for many years: collecting Deity Amulets, many of which represent Ganesha (also usually referred to in Thai as Phra Phikanet) who is usually identified by his elephant head and four arms. Second, it made me think about the family that I'm raising, and how grateful I am to be able to do so. I know I know, these are completely separate feelings, but remember what I said about inspiration? It is funny, and works in funny ways.
So here's where I explain myself. Despite all the unrelated thoughts that I mentioned, what I had in mind was clear. I wanted to create a sculpt that takes inspirations from Ganesha, and also one with features that represent motherly love. It is named Elle, which is obviously a simple play on the word Elephant, but also means Sun Ray, so pretty apt for the God of New Beginnings by whom it is inspired. My thoughts can be messy, but the end result is neat, don't you think?