Year: 2021
Medium: bronze with patina
Dimensions: image: 105 x 43 x 33 cm (41 3/8 x 16 7/8 x 13 in.)
Acquired from PERROTIN, 2022
Nine statues of different colors called "Yakalina" were scuplted. “Bistre” in French means dark brown color. As an immediate follower of Lowbrow Art movement, Ryden is a pioneer of Pop Surrealism who plays a very prominent role in the history of Art. To interpret this work from the perspective of the artist’s background, there should not be a specific myth or religious aspect in mind but instead refer to a more ordinary and fictional sanctity such as Lovecraft’s The Call of Cthulhu, a spirituality that exists only within a fictional framework. Ryden’s interest in natural history and his frequent referencing to the classics plays a large role, yet this work bears “resemblance” to the aesthetics of pseudo history. “Yakalina” raised its arms in a gesture of gentle welcome, is one of the “Anima Animals” (souls of Animals) Ryden refers to, perhaps as a symbol of the sanctity of Ryden’s mythology.
