Rabbit Sleep (2026)

Keely O'Brien

5400 No. 3 Road

Area: City Centre
Location: Ground level, north plaza underneath guideway

Materials: Digital print on translucent vinyl.

Program: Unique Programs
Ownership: Civic
Sponsored By: City of Richmond

Description of Work

A series of four (4) digital print reproductions of mixed-media work.

Artist Statement

This artwork depicts rabbits sleeping in a quiet, private moment. The piece gestures toward the unseen worlds that exist alongside urban life: the moments happening unnoticed beneath our feet, in parks, empty lots, and roadside grasses. At the same time, the work holds a layer of complexity. European rabbits are an introduced and invasive species in Richmond, and their visibility can also point toward the wildlife that has been displaced or can no longer thrive amid urbanization. Rather than presenting a simple celebration of nature, "Rabbit Sleep" reflects on coexistence, colonization, adaptation, and the ways more-than-human species persist within rapidly changing environments. This work responds to Richmond’s local culture and natural heritage by honouring a distinctly familiar aspect of the city’s landscape while inviting viewers to pause, observe, and reconsider the living ecosystems surrounding them.