Richard MacDonald has always been intrigued by opposites, and he has the range to be able to create both sculptures of delicate, archetypal femininity and powerful, athletic masculinity, while some of his greatest works combine the play of opposites in the one piece. Petals and Fire is a study in contrasts, and becomes another of Richard MacDonald’s feminine pieces that redefines the terms of that description in a way that is so relevant to our times.

The “petals” of the title are unfurling in the hair of the figure, giving her character a mythological cast, and representing the softness and delicacy of her feminine nature, while the suggestion of flame-like forms at the base gives the viewer a glimpse into a different aspect of her nature: this is the inner spirit of the woman burning brightly, illuminating, warm, and powerful. Both the creative and destructive forces of nature are bound together, both dancing like flickering flames, as the woman dances with a sense of passionate involvement.