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Pohina 2001

Deborah Butterfield’s fascination with horses began as a young child and has remained her artistic focus since creating her first equine sculpture as a graduate student at the University of California, Davis. Originally serving as a metaphorical substitute for her, Butterfield viewed the form as a personal feminist statement saying, "I wanted to do these big, beautiful mares that were as strong and imposing as stallions but capable of creation and nourishing life.” Pohina was first constructed from found driftwood then cast in bronze and given a patina that identically mimics the source material.