Cruising through Dilworth just past Kennilworth Commons, you’ll spot two steel giraffe sculptures in the median.
“Charlotte architect and developer David Furman came into the shop and said, ‘I want to make some giraffes.’” shared Ben Parrish of Steel Design Studios. The designer and sculpter was initially perplexed by the idea. Nevertheless, he put his talent to work, crafting an abstract design to give the giraffes their shape.
Since their inception in 2021, the giraffes have relocated twice, including Wilmore Centennial Park in South End before settling in their current home at East Boulevard near the East and Lyndhurst intersection.
Parrish, who brought the giraffes to Dilworth, has more than 25 years of experience in metal artistry, despite no formal background. He shared how dramatically the Queen City’s art culture in the recent years. “There’s vastly more now than when I first arrived.”
As for what’s next, Parrish plans to sculpt a private piece for a client — a near full-size Tyrannosaurus Rex for a husband looking to surprise his wife for her birthday.
