Richard Heikkilä-Sawan, Freedom Flag, buffalo hide, dye, 2015, 200cm x 136.5cm x 6.5cm (plus variable fur thickness)

Richard Heikkilä-Sawan, My Spirits Soar, Hudson’s Bay history book, King James bible, John Fluevog Rigas boots,
mannequin legs, laquer, Finn chair, unopened Big Rock beer can, Lego bricks, foam shapes, Band-Aids, spray paint,
children’s wooden stacking toy, mahogany valet stand, braided roping, CNC routered yellow cedar, light bulb,
toggle switch, 2015, 195cm x 45.5cm x 45cm.

Hovering in the space between a sculpture and a painting, Freedom Flag boldly proclaims its identity. But what identity is it trying to proclaim? Its formal attributes reveal a heavily textured support to which a repeating striped pattern has been applied. The support has been stretched like that of a painting. But where is the paint? The ambiguity of its form only helps to confuse; to provoke; to titillate. And what about the holes?

The concept—suggesting minimalism and perhaps bordering on naiveté—is loaded with clues and symbolism if one chooses to journey into the depths of meaning; especially from a contemporary cultural position fraught with historic baggage. The possibilities are endless. But then again, perhaps one might simply allow it to BE exactly what it is.

On the other hand, My Spirits Soar—a reference to two-spirited individuals within the Aboriginal community—clearly presents itself in sculptural form; each element laiden with meaning. It is a self-portrait created with honesty, transparency and vulnerability. The materials list may convey some clues, but are they really neccessary? Is it important to satisfy inquiring minds? As Freedom Flag suggests, My Spirits Soar may simply be an effect of its legacy; affording the possibility to just BE.