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Nari Ward Art

American, Jamaican

In the hands of sculptor Nari Ward, a host of found materials like shoestrings, baby strollers and shopping carts are recontextualized into thought-provoking art pieces that challenge pressing social and political issues. From Ward’s We the People meditating on American democracy to his award-winning Amazing Grace installation confronting the AIDS crisis and drug epidemics of the 1990s, he has tackled the complexities of race, poverty, consumer culture and national identity.

Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Ward moved to New York City in the 1970s and earned a bachelor’s degree from the City University of New York in 1989 and a Master of Fine Arts in 1992. He created his breakthrough piece, Amazing Grace, while attending a residency in 1993 at the Studio Museum in Harlem. The work involves 365 abandoned baby strollers and fire hoses installed in a ship-like shape while Mahalia Jackson’s version of the famous hymn plays over a speaker.

Ward combats social injustices by looking for ways to transform these ideological concepts into a physical form. Frequently, he is struck by an object found on the street in which he sees a story. Ward uses different materials to create a dialogue and play on themes like healing, reclamation and violence. In Iron Heavens, scorched baseball bats signify brutality and rejuvenation, while over 300 oven pans symbolize a night sky. 

His decades of dedication to his practice have included commissions from the United Nations and World Health Organization. His many exhibitions include shows at MCA Denver, New York’s New Museum, Contemporary Arts Museum Houston and the 45th Venice Biennale in Italy. Both private and public collectors around the world seek out Ward’s art, with his work held by the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, DC, the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York and the National Gallery of Victoria in Southbank, Australia. 

Ward has received a number of accolades over his career, including a fellowship from the United States Artists, the Vilcek Prize in Fine Arts from the Vilcek Foundation, the Joyce Foundation’s Joyce Award and the Rome Prize from the American Academy of Rome

On 1stDibs, find a collection of Nari Ward’s prints and multiples.

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Artist: Nari Ward
Obama Can
By Nari Ward
Located in New York, NY
Edition of 25. Nari Ward is known for re-contextualizing found/discarded objects in juxtapositions that create complex and metaphorical meanings that highlight cultural values or o...
Category

2010s Contemporary Nari Ward Art

Materials

Lithograph

Freedom Gallows
By Nari Ward
Located in New York, NY
Edition of 7. Sold unframed. Nari Ward is known for re-contextualizing found/discarded objects in juxtapositions that create complex and metaphorical meanings that highlight cultur...
Category

2010s Contemporary Nari Ward Art

Materials

Archival Paper, Intaglio

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Nari Ward art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Nari Ward art available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Nari Ward in archival paper, intaglio, lithograph and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 21st century and contemporary and is mostly associated with the contemporary style. Not every interior allows for large Nari Ward art, so small editions measuring 22 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Axel Crieger, Brian Calvin, and Kiki Smith. Nari Ward art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $1,500 and tops out at $12,000, while the average work can sell for $6,750.

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