The mysterious appearance of a sculpture featuring two stick figures embracing under a tree in Kelowna’s Glenmore Highlands has been solved.

Carmen Bouvier is the artist behind the artwork made of sticks, twigs and other natural materials that they placed along a trail recently. The work captured the attention of local hikers.

A woman who recently came across the sculpture shared photos to a local Facebook group thanking and praising the artist. “Kudos to whoever built these lovely stick people,” wrote Terri Singleton.

That post prompted Bouvier to step forward. The UBC Okanagan Visual Arts graduate is driven to share their work with the public.

“I like the idea of putting art where everyone can see it and find it, but also it’s kind of like a secret thing,” said Bouvier about why they decided to make the hike up a hill to place the sculpture in the woods.

Originally, they only planned to place one stick figure along the trail, “but it just looked lonely and I was, like, let’s give him a friend,” added Bouvier.

UBC Okanagan Visual Arts lecturer David Doody, who taught Bouvier for years, says Carmen is doing this out of the sheer enjoyment of sharing their work.

“It’s really great to see students reaching out and enhancing the community life and community fabric, with producing work and sharing it in that fashion,” Doody said.

“Why showing the work in these locations is so appropriate is that Carmen spends a lot of time out in the woods and finds a lot of positive experiences by spending time walking through nature.”

The young artist works out of their parents’ backyard in Glenmore. Several of their works are scattered around the property, some hidden in hedges, others on the front step and along the driveway. They are slowing weathering and decaying in the elements, returning to their natural form.

Keep your eyes peeled the next time you are out for a walk in the woods because Bouvier plans to place more of their unique sculptural stick people in green spaces around the city.