THE artist who created a sculpture stolen from outside a south Belfast library has been left "devastated" by the theft and has called for the artwork to be returned.
The sculpture of a woman and a bird reading a book was removed from a plinth in the grounds of Ormeau Library sometime between Sunday evening and Monday afternoon.
Created by Italian-born artist Daniela Balmaverde and installed in 2011, the piece was sculpted as part of a cross-community art project to celebrate diversity in the lower Ormeau area.
The work is based on a short 9th century Irish language verse known as The Blackbird of Belfast Lough, which inspired the logo of the Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen's University.
Speaking to the Irish News, Ms Balmaverde, who is originally from Turin and lives in south Belfast, said she has passed by the sculpture daily since its installation, and described the theft as a "sad loss" for the area.
"I was devastated to hear the piece was stolen. Over the years I received such positive feedback on it and I regularly met people who would tell me how much they loved to see it.
"One person even told me the sculpture inspired them to write their own poem about it, while there is a picture of it hanging in a local cafe. I created it along with another larger piece near the towpath to celebrate the diversity of the lower Ormeau area.
"I'm very sad to see the plinth empty and I would plead with whoever took it to please return it so it can be reinstalled."
The artist said the stainless steel sculpture would weigh around 70 kilos, and would have taken at least two people with tools to remove it.
Read more:
- Distinctive sculpture removed from Belfast junction after 60 years
- Hotel grounds come to life with Ireland's largest sculpture exhibition
- Celebrated Belfast artist Deborah Brown known for 'Sheep on the Road' sculpture dies aged 95
Libraries NI area manager Mary-Ellen Lynn said: “We are completely shocked at the sudden disappearance of our cherished sculpture. It is not just the loss of a physical object, but the loss of a symbol that represented the diverse communities residing in the area. The library feels incomplete without it.
“We would encourage anyone with information that may shed light on the whereabouts of the sculpture to come forward. Every detail, no matter how insignificant it may seem, could hold the key to its recovery.”
Botanic SDLP councillor Gary McKeown said: "I was just passing the library earlier this week and remarked how well the grounds looked in the autumn light, with the statue taking pride of place.
“This is a fantastic piece of art that we are lucky to have in the heart of our local community, so it’s really disappointing that someone has chosen to take it."
A PSNI spokesperson said: "Police are appealing to anyone who may know of the whereabouts of the statue or anyone with CCTV, doorbell or other footage that could assist with enquiries to contact police on 101 quoting reference 1325 of 20/11/23."
