Floyd Elzinga

Three large sculptures that draw curious visitors, trekkers and locals into the centre are made entirely from local waste

“I started with making a couple panels out of roofing steel and representing the iconic scene of Everest, Lhotse and Ama Dablam. The mountains are so omnipresent that it was impossible to keep them out of my work. Those pieces really resonated with both the locals and trekkers, so much that I sold several works just after completing them. The goal of giving garbage a new value and incentivizing its removal from this remote area was being realized in the moment! I was suddenly overwhelmed with how much more I could do. Too many ideas. Too much garbage. Not enough time.”

Floyd Elzinga

Metal Sculptor

Floyd Elzinga

Metal Sculptor

Sponsored by the Denali Foundation, Floyd Elzinga spent five weeks in the fall of 2022 with part of his Canadian team – Jeff Buikema and Carolyn Elzinga – at Sagarmatha Next. During the residence, Floyd created a total of 25 individual artworks made from metal. The collection ranges from 4.5 meters tall and weighing 400 kg sculptures placed at the outdoors of the centre, to little wall hangings representations of local mountain views created by ‘En Plein Air’ grinding.

The three larger sculptures the team created are monumental pieces that draw curious visitors, guides and locals into the centre. These sculptures, created in the Waste Lab at Sagarmatha Next, were sourced from scrap metal at several local waste pits.

This scrap metal waste was dominantly biproducts from local households, construction waste and pieces from several mountain climbing base camps. It included everything from helicopter parts (a 2003 MI-17 Russian plane crash at Everest) to household appliances, rebar, roofing material, and more.

Although these sculptures are jarringly incongruous in the beautiful mountain scape, they offer the viewer a chance to reflect on both the brokenness of the past and the persistent hope for the future, glimpsed in the new resilient growth.

Floyd’s collection also includes a total of 22 small sculptures and little wall hangings that represent the most iconic peaks of the Himalayas. Ten of the artworks were sold and shipped to buyers around the world during his residency. The remaining artworks can be purchased by contacting us.

Floyd’s collection is on display at our gallery and can be enjoyed by everyone visiting Sagarmatha Next in Spring 2023.

About the artist

About the artist

Floyd Elzinga

Floyd is a sculptor of metals working both three-dimensionally and two-dimensionally. He is drawn to representing nature in metal, and has been exploring the tradition of landscape painting using non-traditional materials and techniques.

His most recent work focuses on interpretations of landscapes using steel and stainless steel as mountains, lakes, and trees. These idyllic mountain or lake scenes often emphasize anthropomorphized trees and are created to highlight the physical properties of steel.