KAERU 蛙

Cast Iron, cast bronze, Ink, paper, & charcoal | Size varies | Birmingham, AL

Created as part of part of Sloss Furnaces’ Metal Arts Visiting Artist Series

Frogs have long held a place in Japanese folklore and mythology, holding prominence in the idea of return and fortune. As rains grant fortune to crops, kaeru bring wealth and prosperity to farmers and kings alike. Speckled throughout fishless ponds formed from Southern rains among longleaf pines are home to one of the rarest true frogs. The gopher frog is one of the most critically endangered frogs in North America, having lost a vast majority of its inhabited range due to encroachment, climate change, and pollution. As of the most recent surveys from US Fish and Wildlife, this frog is feared to be extinct in its historic Alabama range. This is not a unique tale to amphibians which has faced a 3.79% population decrease annually. Our last remaining fortune is our shared ecosystems and those who’ve inhabited them and been their stewards for thousands of years. Will we have our fortunes be lost, or perhaps help in its return?