Photos: Sumo wrestler sculpture unveiled on South Temple in SLC
“Rikishi” was created by French artist Alexandra Gestin.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Workers place a new art installation featuring a life-size sumo wrestler, in front of the Mountain West Commercial Real Estate building, previously the KALL Radio 910 broadcast station, on South Temple, in Salt Lake City, on Monday, March 29, 2021.
A couple dozen people gathered Monday for the unveiling of a sculpture of a live-size sumo wrestler in downtown Salt Lake City.
The bright-red public artwork made with resin is located at 312 E. South Temple, near the Cathedral of the Madeleine. Created by French artist Alexandra Gestin, the 5-foot-tall and 5-foot-wide wrestler is titled “Rikishi.”
The piece was installed in front of the Mountain West Commercial Real Estate building, which was previously the home of KALL Radio 910 and restored by Price Real Estate.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) A new art installation of a life-size sumo wrestler, in front of the Mountain West Commercial Real Estate building, previously the KALL Radio 910 broadcast station, on South Temple, in Salt Lake City, on Monday, March 29, 2021
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) A new art installation of a life-size sumo wrestler, in front of the Mountain West Commercial Real Estate building, previously the KALL Radio 910 broadcast station, on South Temple, in Salt Lake City, on Monday, March 29, 2021
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Workers place a new art installation featuring a life-size sumo wrestler, in front of the Mountain West Commercial Real Estate building, previously the KALL Radio 910 broadcast station, on South Temple, in Salt Lake City, on Monday, March 29, 2021
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Workers place a new art installation featuring a life-size sumo wrestler, in front of the Mountain West Commercial Real Estate building, previously the KALL Radio 910 broadcast station, on South Temple, in Salt Lake City, on Monday, March 29, 2021
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Workers place a new art installation featuring a life-size sumo wrestler, in front of the Mountain West Commercial Real Estate building, previously the KALL Radio 910 broadcast station, on South Temple, in Salt Lake City, on Monday, March 29, 2021
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Workers place a new art installation featuring a life-size sumo wrestler, in front of the Mountain West Commercial Real Estate building, previously the KALL Radio 910 broadcast station, on South Temple, in Salt Lake City, on Monday, March 29, 2021
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Steve Price talks about the new art installation featuring a life-size sumo wrestler, in front of the Mountain West Commercial Real Estate building, previously the KALL Radio 910 broadcast station, on South Temple, in Salt Lake City, on Monday, March 29, 2021
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) A new art installation of a life-size sumo wrestler, in front of the Mountain West Commercial Real Estate building, previously the KALL Radio 910 broadcast station, on South Temple, in Salt Lake City, on Monday, March 29, 2021
“Public art has the ability to inspire and beautify community,” said founder Steve Price in a news release. “We hope this newest art installation in Salt Lake City accomplishes both for this and future generations.”
Other sculptures on Price Real Estate properties in Salt Lake City include an ostrich, a rhinoceros and a historical steel gantry crane beam with a bronze bird on top.
sltrib.com is now free to access — no subscription required. We made this decision because we believe access to trustworthy, independent news shouldn’t depend on what you can afford — especially as misinformation and AI-generated content continue to rise.
Free to read doesn’t mean free to produce. Our reporters show up every day to ask hard questions and hold powerful institutions to account. That work takes resources. As a nonprofit newsroom, we rely on support from people who believe it matters. Make a donation today to fund local news that serves Utah communities.
You can help us bring more local news to more communities today.
Rick has been a staff photographer at The Tribune since 1984. Previous to The Tribune, he was photo editor at the Daily Universe Newspaper at BYU and worked at The Sun Advocate in Price, Utah.