Client: Eastwind Development, LLC

Overview

A woman reaching for the sky.
It’s a sunrise on the Atlantic,
It’s a sunset on the Gulf,
It’s seaweed riding the waves,
It’s a panther ruffling sawgrass,
It’s the Everglades,
It’s a tipi in the prairie,
it’s a peacock’s parade,
It’s a woman reaching for the sky,
It’s my mother,
It’s joyful children playing,
It’s my brother, my sister and me,
It’s a frond on the beach,
It’s the 4th of July on the waterfront,
It’s West Palm Beach,
It’s the warehouse District,
It’s District Flats,
It’s a locomotive puffing along the eastern seaboard,
It’s my knotty guts,
It’s my neurons as I create,
It’s organized chaos,
It’s Dudali’s mind,
It’s Dudali’s mind because it’s me.
Made of copper, glass, concrete, rebar, a sculptures that I created inspired by my client’s quote: “A woman reaching for the ski”. and installed for the “District Flats” apartment complex 1050 Blanche Street, West Palm Beach Florida, USA.

Goals

Inspired by my client’s wishes, Fatin Dudali depicts “A woman reaching for the sky”. It is meant to illustrate women’s power to gather energy from the sky and radiate it back to us, in turn sending it back to the heavens. As I was conceiving the sculpture it also became an illustration in memory of my own mother, nicknamed Fatin, who passed away two years before its conception. Material and style wise, the goal was to represent the blending form the nature and the industrial origins of the place. The developer was thrilled by the project as he also understood the added value to his property. The integration of this sculpture within the park has become a gateway to the property and a place to meditate.

Process

First the collaboration between me and artist Muriente to come up with a relatable concept and the creation of a scaled model to present to the client, then to AIPP West Palm Beach for their support of the project. Muriente and I then took on the redaction of a solid contract to establish both our client's rights and responsibilities as well as ours. During installation, clear coordination between the client, the builder and all construction workers is paramount. My approach with them is always as clear as can be in order to gain their flawless cooperation and collaboration when needed. Respect for their schedule as well as constraints within my own was my main concern because communicating openly benefits everyone. Coordinating the schedule to hire skilled workers such as a welder for the most difficult sections and ordering the delivery of the proper supplies and equipment equipment such as cranes and concrete at the right time to keep the project within budget. Finally allow a filmmaker to be on site with the right equipment and permit to fly a drone over the site to record the construction of the project.

Additional Information

This sculpture is one of two that were create and installed on site for a total budget of $260,000 Medium used: Copper, Stainless Steel, Steel, Concrete with rebar, Glass rocks, LED lights. Its dimensions are 22 feet high, by 12 feet wide and ten feet deep.