July 24, 2024
Forest Forms Artist Interview: Huelani Mei
Q: What makes you excited about having Fernbank as the first museum to showcase these installations?
A: I work with Elemental Exhibitions, which is a company that executes, produces and manages traveling sculpture exhibits, and they partnered with Fernbank to be the first hosts for Forest Forms. Being a local artist and having the opportunity to have my first sculpture exhibit on display at one of the most iconic Atlanta museums has been such an amazing opportunity. I want my work to educate the community about the importance of nature and animals so to have Forest Forms on display in WildWoods at Fernbank goes hand in hand with our missions with art, science and education . Fernbank has been a wonderful museum to work with and I feel honored that it's the first venue to host Forest Forms.
Q: How did you first start making art and what is your motivation?
A: Art has always been a big part of my life and I have always found myself creating at all stages throughout my journey. When I was younger, I thrived in any and all art projects that were assigned to me, so once I graduated high school, I knew that living a life where art was the main focus was going to be my goal. I think one of my biggest motivations in making art and creating is being able to turn my creative thoughts into something tangible and real. I want my work to show others that when you put your heart and soul into something it can bring joy and inspire others to do the same.
A: When choosing and conceptualizing the sculptures, I did a series of sketches until I formed a cohesive set of plants and animals. I thought it would be a good representation of the outdoors that would be relatable to people and provide the viewer with an unexpected moment of reflection, wonder and appreciation for animals and the environment.
Q: What was the process of choosing how the sculptures would be completed – such as their linework, size, color, etc.?
A: I wanted to use my distinct line work style to convey the form and movement I observe while enjoying the outdoors. For the size of the sculptures, I was really wanting these pieces to fit well in an outdoor environment and not look too small, so I wanted to go with a larger scale. All the sculptures actually came out bigger than intended, too, because once I started fabricating the pieces, I had to go with what looked right versus what my drawing depicted. Choosing the colors for the pieces was a fun and challenging feat, I really wanted to pick colors that would pop in many outside environments and transfer well into pictures.
Q: Which was your favorite form to create or which piece are you most proud of?
A: It’s so hard to pick a favorite form or piece because they are all so special to me, but if I had to single out one or two sculptures, I would say the “Flower Power Tower” and "Carl the Peacock.” The tower is the tallest sculpture out of the set and to me looks like a very elegant and simple sculpture, but the engineering and planning behind it represents the perfect blend of my structural/fabrication skills and artistic skills. The Peacock has the most detail out of all 18 sculptures and I think it really shows off my creativity with my line work style. I saved the peacock sculpture for last to build so I could really give it the detail it deserves.
Q: Each sculpture has a name, and while some seem more obvious, like the rabbits, some are a little more mysterious. How were the names chosen?
A: Some of the sculptures are named after my family members! For instance, the snake sculpture is named after my husband, Chris, and the dragonfly is named after my grandmother, Estella. They also didn't know I named the sculptures after them. So on opening day at Fernbank when they walked the exhibit and read the fun fact labels about each piece, they discovered that some of the sculptures were named after them, which made for a fun and special surprise.
Q: Are there any interesting things that happened while creating these pieces?
A: I gave myself about 7 to 8 months to create all 18 sculptures, so my deadline was pretty tight, which really helped me strengthen my time-management skills. I also planned a wedding and got married all while fabricating the exhibit. So, my life has been extremely hectic for the last year. But at the end of the fabrication process, I have 18 beautiful sculptures to admire and a wonderful and supporting husband so I would say it was all worth it!
Q: What difficulties did you overcome while working on Forest Forms?
A: While working on Forest Forms I designed a lot of the sculptures based on my creative thoughts and then had to figure out how to turn them into reality, so I kind of worked backwards the whole time. Each sculpture held its own challenges, and I didn’t even know what those challenges were until I started fabrication. For instance, I hand-bend and forge all of my sculptures. I chose certain materials where it was really challenging to do certain bends with heat or by hand so I ended up buying an industrial pipe roller that helped me accomplish my designs. I already knew how to bend metal, but then I had to find a machine that worked best for my needs and learn how to use the new equipment, all while under a very tight deadline. I used a notebook the entire time during fabrication to write down my failures and accomplishments so I can look back on that to help me with future projects. After the fabrication process, I learned so much and can't wait to put my new skills to work.
Q: Is large-form metal sculpture your favorite medium? Do you work in other mediums?
A: Yes! I love creating larger-than-life sculptures and I love creating with metal. My main focus the last few years has been working with all types of metal, but I also enjoy working with clay and watercolor painting. I haven't touched either of those mediums in a long time, but I look forward to the day when I can combine more of my favorite mediums into my work.
Q: Is there anything else, such as upcoming exhibits, websites, etc. that you’d like to share?
A: Yes! Forest Forms is a traveling sculpture exhibit and will be touring for the next few years around the country. After Fernbank, the exhibit will go to Lockerly Arboretum in Milledgeville, Bonnet House Gardens and Museum in Fort Lauderdale, Holden Arboretum in Kirtland, OH and then off to Anne Springs Close Greenway in Ft. Mill, SC. People can stay in touch with me via Instagram @huedesignsatl or on my website www.huedesignsatl.com to follow my upcoming projects and stay in touch.
Make sure you catch Forest Forms at Fernbank before it moves on!
Forest Forms is on view daily in WildWoods through Sept. 29, 2024 and is included in your general admission ticket.
Fernbank is a nonprofit natural history museum, giant screen theater and old-growth forest, and is not affiliated with Fernbank Science Center, which operates as a division of DeKalb County Schools.
