This bat! Created by Kansas City-based artist and multi-talent Susi Lulaki, it is made mosaic-style of slag glass (sourced from KC’s Monarch Glass) pressed into concrete. Lulaki sees her creature creations (of which there are a wonderful variety!) as sorts of protective spirits, and this one is especially great as it can live outdoors, perhaps hanging outside the front door, warding off unwanted visitors! I think the black and white stripes and swirl patterns of the inlaid glass are fantastic (it feels as if that glass was just destined to become this bat) and then that face, with concentric rings of orange, white, red and black glass for the eyes, and a half-circle of black with a purple star inside for the nose. Super sweet but with just the right little dose of menacing!
Lulaki, who has been creating paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings, and all things in between for more than thirty years, received her BFA from Kansas City Art Institute, her MA from University of Missouri Kansas City.
The bat is signed on the back and strung with a hanger. 12 1/2” long x 5 1/2” tall x 1” thick. There are a few scratches in the glass and scuffs of the surface, original to its making, as documented in photos.