A traditional sculptor by trade, Jean-Marie Appriou has adopted the role of an alchemist by using elemental materials such as cast aluminum, bronze, ceramics and glass to bring to life the poetics of personal storytelling. Conceived in his studio in the north of France, Appriou’s Mirage is exemplary of the artist’s unique process: Each figure is carved from wax, covered in plaster, then cast in aluminum. Here, Appriou’s life-sized camels are presented outdoors in the unfamiliar tropical habitat of Collins Park, each standing atop its mirror-image reflection. By sharing his intricate experimentations with materiality and nature, Appriou’s work highlights the poignancy of a manual approach in the current technological age.