Mythical hare and Rider

The sculpture is a union of opposites — the earthly and the fantastical, the fragile and the resilient. The hare, traditionally a symbol of fertility, intuition, and liminality (existing between worlds), gains wings, representing transcendence and spiritual ascent. It embodies a creature no longer bound to the ground, able to move between physical and ethereal realms.

The rider, with its vivid, patchwork body and branch-like antlers, symbolizes a guardian or guide, rooted in nature but reaching upward like a tree. The antlers recall growth, branching paths, and connections between the earthly and divine. Their coral-like texture evokes the sea, further layering the symbolism with references to fluidity, adaptability, and hidden worlds.

Together, the rider and winged hare form a symbiotic pair: the hare provides movement and instinctual energy, while the rider brings direction and vision. Resting in a nest-like base of driftwood and wool, the piece grounds this mythic journey, suggesting origins, protection, and cycles of renewal.

In essence, the sculpture symbolizes the journey of transformation — moving from rootedness to transcendence, guided by the interweaving of instinct, imagination, and the natural world.

From a mythological perspective, this symbolism resonates deeply with Celtic, shamanic, and folk traditions. In Celtic mythology, the hare was considered a sacred animal associated with the moon, fertility, and the Otherworld, often appearing as a guide between realms. Its ability to vanish suddenly in the wild was seen as evidence of its liminal nature. The antlers evoke the horned god Cernunnos, a Celtic deity of fertility, animals, and the cycles of nature, who was often depicted with stag antlers as a sign of strength, wildness, and connection to the forest.

In shamanic traditions, animals with wings are often spirit guides or messengers, bridging the earthly and spiritual planes. The combination of hare and wings suggests a totemic animal of transformation, carrying the rider beyond the ordinary world. Antlers, too, hold shamanic significance as symbols of growth, regeneration, and receptivity to spiritual energy, often worn in ritual to channel the power of animal spirits.

Folk traditions across Europe also saw the hare as a trickster and shape-shifter, a magical being able to move between forms. Pairing this with antlers — symbols of regrowth and renewal through the annual shedding cycle — suggests not only transformation but also resilience and eternal return.

Thus, the piece becomes a tapestry of myth and imagination, embodying an archetypal journey: the rider as shaman, the hare as guide, and the antlers as a bridge between the human, natural, and divine worlds.