Monira Al Qadiri’s Half-Human, Half-Scarab to Overlook New York’s Central Park
The Kuwaiti artist’s first public artwork will reimagine the ancient Egyptian deity Khepri as a scarab beetle and will travel to Toronto’s Lassonde Art Trail when it opens in 2026. Save to My Ocula
A 17-foot-tall sculpture reimagining the ancient Egyptian deity Khepri as a hybrid human-scarab figure will tower over Central Park this autumn, in a new commission by the Public Art Fund.
Berlin-based Kuwaiti artist Monira Al Qadiri will urge Central Park visitors to ‘recognise the divine in what we might otherwise overlook’ with First Sun, her new sculpture shown in tandem with her debut exhibition at Perrotin in New York.
It’s Al Qadiri’s first public artwork and institutional show in New York, as well as the launch of a new partnership between Public Art Fund and Toronto’s Lassonde Art Trail—a 4.2 kilometre waterfront path set to open in 2026.
The sculpture’s iridescent, crystal-based pigments shift in colour with the light, drawing attention to the scarab beetle, a historically revered but often overlooked creature today.
‘I hope that this work will prompt people to reflect on how we value nature and embrace the unknown,’ said Al Qadiri. ‘The scarab was once revered for its mysterious origins. Today, insects are feared or ignored, despite being vital to our survival.’
Inspired by a painting in the tomb of Ramses I, the sculpture blends human and insect forms, exploring humanity’s relationship with nature. Its androgynous design reflects Al Qadiri’s recurring themes of gender fluidity, ecological interdependence, and mysticism.
Melanie Kress, senior curator at Public Art Fund, said the sculpture will be ‘a bright and bold intervention at Doris C. Freedman Plaza,’ inviting ‘viewers to consider how our relationship to nature is always evolving’.
Following its New York debut, First Sun will travel to Toronto’s Lassonde Art Trail in autumn 2026 as part of a co-commissioning initiative. The partnership marks the first collaboration between Public Art Fund and a Canadian cultural organisation.
‘We are delighted to be launching this cultural partnership with Public Art Fund through Al Qadiri’s vibrant work,’ said November Paynter, artistic director of Lassonde Art Trail.
First Sun will be on view at Doris C. Freedman Plaza in Central Park from 3 September 2025 to 2 August 2026, while Al Qadiri’s Perrotin exhibition will be on view from 4 September to 18 October 2025. —[O]
Main image: Monira Al Qadiri, Holy Quarter (2020). Film and sculpture installation. Courtesy the artist.
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