Perceval by Sarah Lucas

Previously exhibited in New York at the Doris C. Freedman Plaza on the south-eastern entrance to Central Park, Perceval is – although among a vast body of work – Sarah Lucas’s only piece of public art.

The magnificent piece of a horse leading a cart containing giant marrows, is cast in cement to contrast with the finish of the painted bronze.

It is a homage to British culture and a replica of an ornament that adorns many mantelpieces in the UK. Perceval also demonstrates the artist's propensity to re-examine everyday objects in unusual contexts.

Perceval lives, appropriately for a horse, outside in Aspire Park – the biggest park in Qatar, covering an area of 88 hectares. The park is a great spot for picnics and family outings, with beautiful fountains, playgrounds and the only lake in Qatar.

This juxtaposition of subject and place is striking. It captivates the attention of adults and children alike and asks them to reflect on a way of life very different to what they know today.

About the Artist

Sarah Lucas was born in Holloway, London, in 1962. Her works frequently employ visual puns and bawdy humour and include photography, collage and found objects. She is part of a collective known as the Young British Artists, noted for their shock tactics, use of throwaway materials and anti-establishment and entrepreneurial attitudes. They achieved considerable media coverage and dominated British art during the 1990s.