Whether you think of Bugs Bunny, Peter Rabbit, The Easter Bunny, Alice in Wonderland or a collection of other mystical bunny creatures, rabbits and hares hold a dear spot in the hearts of many story lovers. Representing luck, fertility, abundance and other hopeful feelings, rabbits are important in many cultures around the world. “Lagomorphs: Rabbits and Hares in Contemporary Craft,” which recently opened at Fuller Craft Museum, drew its inspiration from the Chinese zodiac calendar where 2023 marks the year of the rabbit. In Chinese culture, the rabbit is clever, creative, ambitious and a peace maker.
In the 18-month process of putting this exhibit together, Curator Beth McLaughlin sought after a collection of art that would highlight the different interpretations of the rabbit. Linda Kindler Priest focused on the movement of the rabbit in her wearable sculpture collection, “6 Hairs in Motion.” She chose pieces of rhodonite that played with the personality and movement of each bunny she created to emphasize their quickness and agility. Jan Huling’s beaded sculpture, “Dudaway,” tells the story of a mystical vampire rabbit who haunted a woman’s childhood. She worked intuitively to secure each bead in a place that she felt gave the sculpture a personality.
This lively exhibit allows one to reflect on a vast collection of topics. Whether it’s the over-sexualization of women, how we treat those who are different from us, or the circle of life, “Lagomorphs: Rabbits and Hares in Contemporary Craft” will have you looking at rabbits in an entirely new light. It ponders the question of why we place such great meaning on such small creatures, and how we look to art to interpret those ideas.
(“Lagomorphs: Rabbits and Hares in Contemporary Craft” continues through January 28, 2024, at the Fuller Craft Museum, 455 Oak St., Brockton, Massachusetts. For more information, visit FullerCraft.org.)