Monumental Sculptures by Sharif Bey Meditate on Identity and Objecthood in ‘Homecoming’

From nail-cloaked ceramic vessels to larger-than-life busts influenced by African and Oceanic visual culture, Sharif Bey’s bold works summon the complexities of heritage, identity, and society. In his ceramic and mixed-media Guardian Series and Crown Series, calm yet imposing figures evoke the Benin Bronzes, ceremonial masking traditions, the giant Moai stone heads of Easter Island, and more.

Bey has long been interested in the commanding nature of objects, especially the ways in which colonialist forces have mined cultural heritage. The Benin Bronzes, which artisans created during the 14th century in what is now Nigeria, are a prime example: British troops looted thousands of plaques in 1897, and The British Museum, The Met, the Smithsonian, Chicago’s Field Museum, and more keep them in their collections. Some have been repatriated, but most remain in Western institutional collections.

In Sharif Bey: Homecoming at The Andy Warhol Museum, the title of which nods to the artist’s background growing up in Pittsburgh, works like “Crown Series: Iris” and “Guardian Series: Blink” possess a deified air. Ceramic beads complement rusty nails, spikes, and chains that mimic hair and garments and also nod to a past filled with brutality and violence, especially—but not limited to—the transatlantic slave trade.

With their eyes closed, Bey’s figures exude a serene power and dignity in the face of historical injustices, which are woven into the fabric of our present. The show pairs the artist’s work with pieces by Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat from the institution’s permanent collection, delving into the way all three explore themes of identity and society.

If you’re in Pittsburgh, you can see Homecoming through October 12. Discover more on Bey’s Instagram.

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