I had the pleasure of meeting Michael Bennett in Honolulu last month, during the Hawai’i Walls art festival. I previously only knew him as one of the Seattle Seahawks’ defensive linemen and was delighted to learn he is now exploring art and architecture as Creative Director of Studio Kër. Led by his passion for the environment, Bennett created a sculpture that was installed at Palama Settlement during the festival.

“Urban Decay” examines both the layers of our planet and of ourselves, and seeks to highlight the waste we are constantly offering back to the earth. Bennett describes the work as “identifying the complexity of what we leave behind and Earth’s dexterity in keeping us together”. I’m excited to see where he goes from here.