When Crane Work Meets ‘Reflection’: Khan Lee’s brand new sculpture

There are certain jobs that stay with you long after the crane is packed up, the site is cleared, and the day is done. This was one of those moments.

Recently, we had the privilege of being part of the installation of a stunning new public art piece, located at 6075 Wilson Ave in Burnaby. Created through the incredible team at Carvel Creative, the sculpture is both visually striking and deeply meaningful; a large-scale arm holding up a phone, frozen in the familiar act of taking a selfie. It’s modern, bold, and quietly reflective all at once.

As a crane company, we mainly work behind the scenes. Our role is technical, careful, and highly coordinated. There are projects that come along where our work intersects with something bigger than construction schedules and logistics, and public art is one of those instances.

Before this piece made its way to site, it was stored safely in our warehouse. When the installation day arrived, our team transported it with the utmost care as we were moving someone’s vision. With precision planning and teamwork, we positioned the sculpture to its permanent home, the final step in a journey that began years ago. The day was topped off with a site visit by the artist, Khan Lee, who was there throughout the entire installation.

Khan Lee shared that he first began working on this piece back in 2019. The sculpture has been years in the making, shaped not only by craftsmanship, but by concept and intention. One of the most fascinating parts of our conversation was hearing how the environment guided his creative process. The piece faces south, welcoming strong natural light, and that brightness became part of the inspiration. Beyond the physical setting, Lee also wanted the sculpture to speak to something cultural; the era we are living in right now.

He explained that the piece represents how deeply photography, especially self-photography, has become part of everyday life. Ten years ago, this constant act of documenting ourselves wasn’t nearly as common. It’s made us made us wonder, will it be relevant in another ten years?

That idea is powerful. Realizing that local artists aren’t only creating something beautiful, they are capturing life as it is, while also being visionary and forward-thinking, noticing trends, shifts, and changes before the rest of us may do.

This sculpture becomes a marker in time. It holds up a mirror to the world we live in today, and maybe it still will decades from now. We feel incredibly grateful to have played a role in bringing this artwork to life. Cranes not only work in the context of building and infrastructure, but support culture and arts as well.

Thank you to everyone involved in making this installation possible, seeing it come together was quite special. A reminder that sometimes, the most meaningful projects are the ones that leave a lasting cultural footprint.