King Nyani: Welcome to New York!
King Nyani’s stats: 8.5 feet tall, 22.9 feet long, and 4,766 pounds (almost 5,000).
It will be on display starting August 24, for a total of nine months. I have wanted to come and see this magnificent work since I read about its unveiling. Finally today, on Halloween, a cool, sunny day here in New York City, I rode a Citi Bike down to Hudson Yards to see him in person. And the King does not disappoint!
The statue comes from world-renowned public artists Gillie and Marc Schattner, who have dedicated their lives to saving endangered species. Gillie and Marc have been called “the most successful and prolific creators of public art in New York’s History” by The New York Times. They brought King Nyani to Bella Abzug Park in Hudson Yards to help raise awareness and funds for the critically endangered gorilla species.
The sculpture is an homage to the head of a family of mountain gorillas in Uganda that Gillie and Marc spent time with. “It was beautiful watching the silverback interacting with his family. He was so gentle and loving and clearly cared deeply for his family,” Marc said in a statement.
King Nyani is part of the artists’ “Love the Last” series, www.lovethelast.com “with the mission of bringing critically endangered animals to urban areas so that people everywhere can create a connection with them. Why? Because loving animals is the first step towards saving them.”
Yet another reason why Public Art is such a vital piece of community, culture, and social awareness. When I visited King Nyani, hoards of children (all masked) climbed all over him, sat in his hands, many hugged and kissed him: there is no doubt in my mind that these children went home and wanted to know more about gorillas, about sculpture, about Uganda, about the actual mechanics of building such an enormous work of art. This is what art does in its beautiful beginnings: it peaks curiosity and opens the mind to questions and possibilities. I have to admit, I have visited the King more than once since this blog. Who can resist?
Definitely check out their website, and if you happen to be in New York City in the next few months, this beautiful sculpture is worth a trip to see in person.
