3-legged lantern sculpture is the centerpiece of new SLO roundabout
San Luis Obispo has a new landmark piece of public art: a three-legged lantern sculpture in the roundabout at Orcutt and Tank Farm roads.
The sculpture by artist Anila Quayyum Agha, called “The Greys in Between,” features lanterns suspended by round arches that echo the shape of nearby hills.
“Drawing from symbols found in South Asian art and architecture, Agha used her large lit sculptures to show the relationships that exist between light and darkness, fact and fiction, community and solitude,” the city said on its Facebook page. “’The Greys in Between’ honors diversity and inclusion, while also inviting viewers to reflect on these different states of being.”
The work was commissioned by the City of San Luis Obispo’s Public Art Program in partnership with the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art.
Agha was born in Lahore, Pakistan, and has lived in the United States for more than 20 years. Her artwork is collected internationally.
Often, her work features themes of floating, light, pattern and an interplay of shadows and color.
“When I go for a walk, I look down at my shadows, and I’ve done that for 30 years,” she said in an interview with the New York Times. “I love the speckled sunlight coming through the leaves of the trees, and I’m fascinated by the movement as you’re walking.”
The work was dedicated in early October 2022.
This story was originally published December 1, 2022 at 10:00 AM.
