At the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Washington’s Technical Assistance Panel presentation in early February, local land use professionals recommended placemaking initiatives for the southern Richmond Highway Corridor, including a potential community garden and urban arboretum at the Gerry Hyland Government Center in South County. Now, thanks to a forward-thinking community member and her artistically talented neighbor, the government building has become home to a lifelike sculpture of a deer that would feel right at home in such green surroundings.

According to Evan Kaufman, executive director of the Southeast Fairfax Development Corporation, Mount Zephyr resident Marty Sanchez-Lowery approached him after the ULI briefing to let him know about a neighbor of hers who had created some amazing sculptures from wood and metal in his front yard. Intrigued, Kaufman arranged to meet the artist and his wife, both natives of Chile, and was “blown away” by his artistic abilities and creativity.

Fabian Lagos was born in Chile’s rural south and loved to draw animals as a kid. As he got older, he became even more talented with his hands, emulating his relatives who built things, cooked and sewed. Using scrap materials, he began to craft unique household items.

“He definitely has a talent with his hands,” said his wife Lissette, who didn’t know about her husband’s hidden sculpting prowess until a few years after they married.

Last November, Lagos came home from his carpentry job with some scrap sheet metal. Over the following two weeks, he spent time in his garage sketching the deer design and cutting the metal, then moved to his front yard to assemble the pieces and weld them together. Soon the deer found itself surrounded by other pieces of art sculpted with a chainsaw — an owl and a horse’s head made from a dead tree, a pair of wooden wings inspired by Psalm 91, and a guitar welded from metal scraps.

By the end of March, the deer had migrated down the road to the government building at 8350 Richmond Highway, where Kaufman had made arrangements for the sculpture to be permanently displayed. The Lagos family and Kaufman have been experimenting with different light-up features for the artwork.

Kaufman said he was thrilled to unveil the first public sculpture along the corridor, describing it as “a testament to community-driven art sparked by local talent and our ULI Placemaking Study.”

“This piece by the gifted Mr. Lagos marks a significant step in our journey to enrich the corridor’s identity through collaborative efforts in art and placemaking,” said Kaufman. “We are even more excited that this is just the beginning.”

For his part, Lagos — who is currently contemplating a fox sculpture — is quietly enjoying his newfound local fame.

“He feels very happy and honored to have his work showcased,” translated his wife.