Pill Bird 2017

"Born from a period of physical immobility and reliance on medication following a back injury in 2009, the 'Pill Bird' is a deeply personal sculpture. Over years, Maya meticulously collected the discarded blister pack pill packets – tangible remnants of a journey through pain and uncertainty. This act of preservation was driven by a desire to divert these materials from landfill, transforming them instead into a potent symbol of resilience and creative rebirth.

The head and torso of the bird are formed entirely from these accumulated pill packets, each one a quiet testament to a specific moment in time. In contrast, the wings, crafted from recycled tapestry fabric and reclaimed feathers, speak of a yearning for lightness and the possibility of overcoming adversity, of taking flight from a period of darkness. The tail, echoing the torso in its construction of pill packets and recycled feathers, grounds the sculpture in its origins while still suggesting movement and direction.

For Maya, the 'Pill Bird' embodies the complex relationship with medication during that chapter of life and the eventual emergence into a space of healing and renewed possibility. The multi-year process of its creation mirrors the long journey.

The 'Pill Bird' was first unveiled at 44AD during the Bath Fringe Art Fair, offering a glimpse into this intimate narrative. It now resides on long-term loan at Rockaway Park, an extraordinary outdoor exhibition space near Bath in Temple Cloud, Somerset. Rockaway Park, known for its unique environment where art thrives amidst repurposed materials and industrial remnants, provides a fitting context for the 'Pill Bird' – a testament to transformation and finding beauty in unexpected sources. Here, amidst other unconventional and thought-provoking works, the 'Pill Bird' continues to share its story of personal struggle and the power of artistic creation”