Lockerly Arboretum has become decorated with its first-ever art exhibit for the holiday season. Forest Forms, by Huelani Mei, comprises 18 sculptures depicting flora and fauna, ranging from five feet to 20 feet tall.
“An exhibit like this is rare for the size of our community. Most of these shows go to larger places like the botanical gardens or state gardens,” said Lockerly Arboretum Marketing Consultant Sarah Melito. “So, it’s exciting to debut a traveling exhibit to our community and our local arboretum.”
Mei is a graduate of Georgia State University with a bachelor’s degree in sculpture and fine arts.
She owns a metal fabrication shop in Atlanta called Hue Designs, where she works on private commissions and public art pieces. Her series, Forest Forms, made its debut at Fernbank Museum in Atlanta before moving to Lockerly Arboretum, where it will remain until Dec. 21.
“I’ve been doing metal work for at least the last 10 years, and I have had my own business for the last five years,” said Mei. “Hue Designs does private and public art commissions for small to large-scale clients. I also do repair work if someone brings, for example, furniture into the shop. I work with Elemental Exhibitions as a business partner and they create exhibition tours in partnership with institutions, groups and more.”
Lockerly Arboretum Executive Director Jennifer Pollard had connections with Elemental Exhibitions Co-Owner Emily Succenti, who recommended the installation of Forest Forms. According to Melito, they were able to reach out to arboretum sponsors and raise enough funds in 12 hours to install the exhibit.
“This is my first art show, and Lockerly is the second venue where it is exhibited. I walked through the venue with Sarah and Jennifer two months prior to the installation and selected where sculptures would go,” said Mei. “The venue was the perfect canvas, and our goal was to give you a living-in-the-garden experience. It was fun to place my foxes in a way that they were running through the field and scattering flowers along the path as if they were glowing alongside the natural fauna.”
Mei is an avid nature lover and takes inspiration from her surroundings. She uses a line-work style to invoke form, movement, and rhythm.
According to the Forest Forms feature, Mei turns a sketch into a tiny maquette made from pencil steel, measuring just a few inches in size.
This maquette is then used to hone the lines and angles of her vision before being made into a sculpture.
“Line-work style is a line drawing focusing on the outline form of an object. I enjoy drawing small mock-ups and then converting that onto larger form pieces,” said Mei.
Made from powder-coated steel, the sculptures shine in the sunlight. According to Mei, their locations in Lockerly were partially chosen by how the sun would reflect on them. Melito stated that this reflectiveness is another reason that Forest Forms was the perfect choice for Lockerly, as it can be included in one of their largest events, the Lockerly in Lights.
“I was taken away by how beautiful the facility was and how my sculptures added to the natural environment after installation,” said Mei. “And I’m excited for their inclusion in Lockerly in Lights. They will be lit up with all of their usual lights. I hope everyone will go out and enjoy Forest Forms.”
Forest Forms will move to Bonnet House Museum & Gardens in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, after Dec. 21.
According to Melito, discussions of a future art installation have begun, though no details have yet been confirmed.