San Francisco Zoo
In Front of the Mother’s House
Lakeside
This carved seat, surrounded by animals was done by Sean Eagleton, well known for his huge wood carvings on long dead trees. He prefers to call them “healing poles”. Shane feels that the huge healing poles, once planted at various points all over this earth will bring solace to Mother Earth and those that inhabit it.
Shane “Tonu” Eagleton is a Polynesian master wood carver, whose work can be found in Golden Gate National Park, the San Francisco Zoo, Presidio National Park, the California Academy of Sciences, Golden Gate Park, and Shoreline Amphitheater.
Shane has served as the Artist-In-Residence for The Cultural Conservancy in San Francisco, where he worked to preserve sustainable indigenous art traditions and use environmental art to educate people about the preciousness of the planet. Through Shane’s ecologically-based sculptures, wood block prints, furniture, and healing poles, he communicates the importance of using natural products from the Earth that have been abandoned as waste. All of Shane’s wood is salvaged from parks, dumps, and landfills. Through the restoration of indigenous wood carving traditions, Shane inspires communities to re-connect with their roots, protect endangered species and cultural traditions, and celebrate the mana (spiritual life force) that connects all things in the universe.
Koala
Penquin
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Mother Kohola sculpture by Shane Eagleton on display at Crissy Field on San Francisco Bay at the Pacific Islanders Cultural Association’s Aloha Festival in 1996. It is carved from a single 5 ton 40 foot long 2000 year old abandoned redwood log salvaged from a defunct sawmill in Mendocino County, California.