Inspiration was born from historical iconic American mammals, which have given change to our social and moral landscape from conservation to the creation of our national parks and zoos, reflecting a snapshot of an essential American story at its root and still evolving. Looking for essential gestures, a moment where we record brief, but provocative memories. Tension between the negative and positive help create, within a rich mix of passing light and contrast, giving life to the core.”

Grade Level: 5–8

Project Title: Rewilded Forms

Objective: Combine environmental studies with abstract animal sculpture.

Activity: Students create an animal sculpture using only recycled materials. Research endangered species and present their work as part of a mock conservation exhibit.

American Wood Bison presents a stylized interpretation of an iconic North American animal, rendered in gleaming and weathered copper. Nativio draws inspiration from “historical iconic American mammals” that shaped conservation efforts and national identity, seeking “essential gestures” that capture brief but provocative memories. The sculpture employs stylization—emphasizing key characteristics rather than literal realism—allowing the bison’s presence to emerge through simplified contours, shifting surfaces, and expressive structure.

The artist describes a “tension between the negative and positive” that animates the work through passing light and contrast, giving life to its core. By combining new and recycled material, the sculpture reflects ongoing cycles of preservation and change, inviting reflection on evolving relationships between landscape, history, and ecological responsibility.