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MOE KOHANA (Hawaiian for “reclining nude”) is a rare example of Deborah Butterfield’s exploration of the reclining horse, a posture she has returned to only occasionally throughout her career. Cast in bronze from Ohia wood gathered from the native Hawaiian forest surrounding the artist’s home on the Big Island, the sculpture preserves the organic character and intricate branching forms of the original material while transforming them into a timeless equine figure.
Butterfield’s reclining horses draw attention to a rarely seen state of the animal. Horses are prey animals that have evolved to sleep standing up, remaining ready to flee at a moment’s notice; when they do lie down, it is a sign that they feel safe enough to become vulnerable.
Inspired by the tradition of the reclining nude in art history, Butterfield explores this moment of rest and exposure as both an act of vulnerability and a quiet expression of strength. By shifting the horse from its familiar standing posture, she reveals the body in a new way—the distribution of weight changes, the forms open and expand outward, and the animal takes on a new sense of presence.
For Butterfield, vulnerability is not a weakness but an act of courage—a way of revealing strength through openness and trust.