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WILLIAM VILLALONGO
Sphinx, 2023Acrylic, velvet flocking and paper collage on wood panel95 x 47 3/4 x 2 3/4 in.Copyright The ArtistPOAAt the entrance to The Great Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx stands as an awe-inspiring reminder of Ancient Egypt’s mastery of engineering and architecture. Influenced by his travels and research,...At the entrance to The Great Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx stands as an awe-inspiring reminder of Ancient Egypt’s mastery of engineering and architecture. Influenced by his travels and research, Villalongo renders a modular composition titled and structured after the pharaonic monument.
Perched at the top of "Sphinx," a pivoted Janiform vase presents only one side of the object, the face of a Black man. The Janiform archetype, characteristic of Etruscan craftsmanship, originated around 500 B.C.E. While both faces are created using the same mold, the Black/white dichotomy prompts reflection on racial distinctions performed throughout history.
Villalongo's meticulous selection and placement of artifacts, crystals, and seashells seen here renders a historical portrait of the Black body. By bringing together 10,000 years of signs and symbols, this towering portrait explores Deep Time-- an ongoing fascination of the artist.Exhibitions
"William Villalongo: Myths and Migrations," Grinnell College Museum of Art, Grinnell, IA, 26 January 2024 - 6 April 2024; traveled to the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, Madison, WI, 4 May 2024 - 18 August 2024; Museum of Art, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, 13 September - 21 December 2024; Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA, 15 May 2025 - 31 August 2025."The Brooklyn Artists Exhibition," The Brooklyn Museum, NYC, 4 October 2024 - 26 January 2025.
"Impact: Contemporary Artists at the Hermitage Artist Retreat," curated by Dan Cameron, Sarasota Art Museum, Sarasota, FL, 10 March 2024 - 7 July 2024.
"William Villalongo: Black Menagerie," Susan Inglett Gallery, NYC, 7 September 2023 - 14 October, 2023.
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