Milette Lanphere and Suzanne Kane Raven Yak Sculpture Fire & Fiber 2016

Evocative mixed-media sculpture by Milette Lanphere and Suzanne Kane, created for the Fire & Fiber exhibition (Branigan Cultural Center, 2016). This singular piece presents a resting yak with a watchful raven perched above, set on a hand-built wheeled platform. Crafted from paper mache, wood, rope, cloth, and hair, the work embodies Lanphere’s deep anatomical sensitivity—seen in the yak’s grounded weight and expressive form—paired with Kane’s refined structural and compositional artistry.

Every detail draws the viewer in: the yak’s richly layered coat and textile saddle, the subtle tension of the raven’s stance, and the humble, almost ritualistic cart base suggesting movement and story. It appeals strongly to collectors of contemporary folk, fiber, and Southwestern art—especially those seeking narrative-driven, exhibition-documented works by established artists.

This is the kind of piece that transforms a space—unexpected, tactile, and memorable. Works with this level of authorship and presence are seldom available, making it highly compelling for serious collectors.

Condition:
Good condition overall, with minor wear consistent with mixed-media construction. Fibers show natural variation and light handling, and the base remains sturdy and intact. No major damage observed.

Dimensions:
Overall: 11 x 13.5 x 6 inches

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Milette Lanphere has spent most of her life in the Mesilla Valley of southern New Mexico, on a seven-acre farm outside Las Cruces — home over the years to horses, donkeys, dogs, chickens, cats, and all manner of wildlife that found its way to her door. For years she was also a licensed falconer, one of fewer than thirty active practitioners in the state of New Mexico, before setting that chapter aside around 2005.

What falconry gives you, above all else, is an education in anatomy. You learn how a creature is built — how it moves, where the weight sits, what the face does under stress. That knowledge does not leave you. It shows up in the felt.

In her past lives, Lanphere was a member of the Mesilla Valley Fine Arts Gallery in historic Mesilla and the Potters' Guild of Las Cruces. This installation represents the fullest public expression of her practice — and the piece that earned her a place on the exhibition's podium.

Suzanne Kane is a Las Cruces-based sculptor whose work is held in the permanent collections of the New Mexico State Capitol, the Archie Bray Foundation, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, and the Las Cruces Museum of Fine Arts, among others. Her ceramic elements in this collaboration — the intricately worked ring sections, the glazed and painted bases, the stacked decorative balls — demonstrate the technical command of an artist with a substantial and documented exhibition history.