We Have Agency XI
Cannupa Hanska Luger, 2018
Ceramic, steel, rope, wool
9’ H x 5’ W x 3’ D

The falling figure in We Have Agency XI represents human dependence on extractive industries and explores both the discomfort and resilience of severing this bond. The figure holds a knife in her bound hands. She is seen in the act of cutting the perceived dependency she is caught in. When the knife is recognized, the work immediately transforms from a static state of victim into an action of agency. The figure releases herself from her perceived dependency or constraints which represent colonized power structures, capitalism and extractive industry. Part of a continual sculptural series which began in 2016, this figure is the largest interpretation of the series to date, and is the first of the series which engages with color as part of the concept. The combination of white, yellow and black glaze pigments mirror the colors within our industrialized world which represent caution. The sculpture, bound and suspended from the ceiling with rope, embodies the cautionary tale of perceived dependence.