About the project
Join Chapel Hill Public Library, Community Arts & Culture, Parks & Recreation, and the Chapel Hill Community Clay Studio to celebrate trees with a new outdoor art installation from local artist Levi Yakubu in Pritchard Park.
Installed on twelve trees scattered throughout Pritchard Park, "Faces of the Forest" features twelve ceramic faces and masks created by Chapel Hill-based ceramic artist Levi Yakubu, a fifth-generation Nigerian potter.
The pieces were inspired by Yakubu's Nigerian heritage and the storytelling traditions of West African ceramics. As visitors walk the park trails, they’ll encounter the faces along the trails and get acquainted with some of the native trees that make up our local landscape.
FAQs
Faces of the Forest is designed to be semi-permanent. The sculptures are expected to remain in the park for years. Over time, the hope is that the trees will gradually grow and change around the artwork.
The artwork was installed by a certified arborist working alongside a Master Naturalist to ensure the health of the trees.
Each piece is attached using sterilized deck screws that penetrate only ¼ to ¾ of an inch into the sapwood. This causes minimal damage, similar to the small wounds trees experience naturally from weather, birds, or animals.
Trees have a natural defense process called Compartmentalization of Decay in Trees (CODIT), which allows them to seal off and isolate small wounds. The species selected for this project are hardy and well-suited to the installation, and the trees will be monitored over time.