Connections
Fredy Huaman Mallqui, 2025
Humans are connected along unseen pathways. Where earth and sky merge, an airport connects us to the invisible paths that people have traveled. Within this vast migratory passage, baggage claim offers a moment for reflection on our journeys, reclaiming the precious fragments of self, culture and community we have carried.
Using the timeless technology of metal to shape wood, the artist’s work, born of trees and seeds, communicates information and meaning. We stand, we stay close, we collect ourselves and our belongings in order to go forth and share again. The sculptures evoke our commonality, and our essential needs of understanding and belonging, like seeds waiting patiently to germinate.
Materials: Locally Salvaged Tree Trunks including Catalpa, Sycamore, Alder, Pine and Basswood
Location: Baggage Claim, Pre-security Terminal
Type: Sculpture
The sculptures that make up “Connections” are inspired by seeds, hinting at a metaphor for travelling and establishing roots. Located in the terminal arrivals level south baggage claim area, they act as grounding landmarks for each baggage carousel. Freddy Huaman Mallqui also created a bench, located nearby, that can be tactilely experienced.
Photo courtesy of Renee Piechock
About the Artist
Carrying wood carving tools as extensions of his own hands, Fredy Huaman Mallqui moved from Peru to the United States in 2012. He began carving at the age of nine, and today his carvings are of the highest craftsmanship. Excelling in both classical carving and contemporary sculpture, Fredy has participated in artist residencies at Anderson Ranch Art Center and Ragdale. He teaches classes at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship, Anderson Ranch Art Center, Shakerag Workshops, and Pocosin Arts School of Fine Craft. Fredy’s work has been shown in Austria, Germany, Peru, and the United States.
Photo courtesy of Renee Piechock
