Butterfly Sculpture, Habitat Creates Cross-Cultural Relationships in Liberty Station

Kaori Fukuyama, an artist known for paintings, drawings, sculptures and site-specific installations, is bringing her vision of a nature/art metaphor and butterfly habitat to Liberty Station’s Arts District.

Her sculpture, “Garden of Transformation/Jardín de Transformación,” exhibits the metamorphosis of a monarch butterfly and will be a part of the Installations at the Station series.

“We couldn’t be happier to highlight another talented artist in Arts District as part of the Installations at the Station program,” Lisa Johnson, president and chief executive officer of Arts District Liberty Station, said in a statement.

“(Fukuyama) does an incredible job of uniting both people and nature with this piece, fostering beauty, connection and educating the community all at once.”

Fukuyama said her sculpture stemmed from the idea of the San Diego region and the cross-cultural exchange between the Mexico-U.S. border, where the butterfly is a powerful symbol of immigration.

“People come and go, and I want this to represent that monarchs are [also] coming and going because of their migration,” she said. “This installation can create that opportunity [to help monarchs] and supply a lot of resources and information.”

Fukuyama was selected at the beginning of this year to join the series. Her vision to install a Monarch Waystation is inspired by monarch butterflies’ seasonal migration through the San Diego region.

“Monarchs spend a lot of their winter in this region, and it became this visual metaphor,” Fukuyama said. “I hope this serves as a gathering spot where people come together for this shared goal of creating an environment where monarchs can survive.”

The sculpture will also provide a habitat for the butterflies.

Fukuyama has planted native plants and milkweeds that will serve as a food source for the monarch caterpillars. She said she hopes they will lay eggs on the milkweeds and gain energy from the plants’ nectar to transform into butterflies

The installation will include three main elements: a metal sculpture, a planting area, and informational and educational signage in English and Spanish. These elements will create a visually interesting environment and also serve as an educational platform and gathering place for the community.

Fukuyama says nature is the biggest inspiration for her work.

“I think nature is the most beautiful art,” she said. “We try to mimic nature, but we should all try to preserve it. This sculpture … is a metaphor for an environment that we should celebrate.”

Her installation will be located on the North Promenade near Stone Brewing’s outdoor patio in Liberty Station.

The Arts District opened a call for artists on Oct. 4, encouraging them to submit their qualifications to create “temporary, site-specific outdoor installations” at the former Naval Training Center in 2025.

If interested, the deadline to submit qualifications is Nov. 4. To learn more and apply, visit NTC Foundation.