The Bronze Highflyer for the Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre

In the end of 2011 Prof. P. Pickkers, MD, PhD, Head of the Department of internal medicine at the University Medical Centre St Radboud asked me to design a gift for the doctoral students of the section Intensive Care.
Ofcourse I was pleased and felt very honoured.
Because the design had to symbolize a rounding of a period and a connection to St Radboud I was inspired to this Highflyer in bronze.
In the 9th century St Radboud wrote a poem about a Swallow and I found this graceful bird beautiful to use as a symbol.
Swallows are highflyers, just as the doctoral students and fellows are.
I chose the circle to represent the completion of a period and gave this part a rough and touching surface.
In the opening in the center of the disk the Swallow flies, symbolizing the journey of the doctoral students, reaching for new heights, new insights
The tallest Highflyer is 16 cms. high and carries the name of the doctoral student on the stand.
The Highflyer for the fellows measures 8 cms.
March 2012 the first Highflyer was handed over to doctoral student Matthijs Cox.