Defying Gravity: Bushra Fakhoury’s Danse Gwenedour sculpture unveiled at Marble Arch

Bushra Fakhoury's Danse Gwenedour

A gravity-defying sculpture was unveiled last month near Marble Arch as part of Westminster’s City of Sculpture series.

Bushra Fakhoury’s Danse Gwenedour is a joyous celebration of life, inspired by the folkloric dance performed by villagers in Bretagne, or Brittany, France. Masked figures hold hands in a circle, three of them suspended in the air through the support of a fourth member of the group.

The sculptor finds inspiration in myths, fables, folklore, carnivals, parades, the powers of observation and good old-fashioned people-watching. Fakhoury’s expertise can be traced back to the age of seven, when she carved out flowers and animals from marzipan.

Although she was born in Lebanon and has lived in places such as the Ivory Coast, France and Kenya, she’s called London home for 40 years. She received her PhD in Art Education at the University of London.

With its inception in 2012, the City of Sculpture programme’s aim is to provide temporary pieces of public art for residents and visitors. Individual artists and over 15 galleries have taken part, with pieces covering more than 20 sites across Westminster.

Fakhoury was joined by Councillor Robert Davis MBE, founder of the City of Sculpture, and Robert Roux, the Deputy Mayor of Nice, on 11 March to reveal Marble Arch’s uplifting new addition, Danse Gwenedour.

Another of Fakhoury’s sculptures, Dunamis, stands at 9 metres tall south of London’s Park Lane. Unveiled in 2013, it depicts a man in a pointed hat holding up an elephant by just its trunk.

To learn more about Fakhoury's work, visit her website or – better yet – see it for yourself.