Abundance

Abundance by J.A. Fligel

Abundance is a permanent bronze and granite sculpture featuring peonies located in Pickering's Bicentennial Gardens.  It is a tribute to local resident Sigrid Squire, a longstanding member of the Pickering Horticultural Society, whose contributions have profoundly shaped the city's horticultural and civic landscape.

About the Artwork

This artwork honours Sigrid Squire, a distinguished resident of Pickering and long-standing member of the Pickering Horticultural Society, whose contributions have profoundly shaped the city's horticultural and civic landscape.

Designed in tribute to Squire's legacy and her favourite flower, the peony, the artwork is permanently installed in the Bicentennial Garden at the Chestnut Hill Developments Recreation Complex.

 The composition features peonies rendered in bronze and granite, materials selected for their elegance, durability, and timelessness.  The granite, sourced in Canada, is sculpted with a sloped top reminiscent of a lectern.  A bronze high relief of a single peony bloom, with stem and leaves, adorns the upper surface, while etched and carved peonies embellish the front and sides, creating visual interest from all perspectives.

The artwork reflects Squire's enduring dedication to community beautification and environmental stewardship.   Her two decades of service with the Pickering Horticultural Society, including four years as president, and her recognition with a City of Pickering Civic Award in 2011, exemplifying her lasting impact on the city's cultural and natural heritage.

About the Artist

J.A. Fligel is a sculptor with over four decades of experience creating stylized, abstract, and figurative works.  Born and raised in Scotland, Fligel graduated in 1989, from Dundee Art School with a BA Honors Degree.  During his formative years, he was profoundly influenced by his artist parents, his mother a graduate of the Glasgow School of Art and his father, who was mentored by Group of Seven member, Arthur Lismer, at the Montreal School of Art.

Fligel's early career focused included sculpture commissions in New Zealand and extensive work in film and theatre both in Canada and Australia, where he specialized in sculptural set and prop design.  Since 1999, he has focused primarily on fine art sculpture, producing a diverse range of commissioned works.  Now based in canada, Fligel frequently intergrates bronze and granite to create enduring memorial and public artworks.  His work has been exhibited in Australia, Europe, Canada, and the United States and his sculptures are held in numerous private and public collections, including the Hockey Hall of Fame (Toronto) and the University of Western Ontario.