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Aso Oke

Aso Oke

© Martin Puryear, Courtesy Matthew Marks Gallery

Aso Oke
Aso Oke
ArtistAmerican, born 1941
CultureAmerican
Titles
  • Aso Oke
Date2019
MediumBronze, edition 2/3
Dimensions84 × 104 1/2 × 73 in., 1325lb. (213.4 × 265.4 × 185.4 cm, 601kg)
Credit LineMuseum purchase funded by the Caroline Wiess Law Accessions Endowment
Object number2020.116
Current Location
The Nancy and Rich Kinder Building
Arrivals Hall
On view

Explore Further

Department
Modern and Contemporary Art
Object Type
DescriptionMartin Puryear’s sculpture alludes to habitats, human figures, and everyday objects, or fuses these allusions, always reflecting a profound understanding of form, structure, and materials. The monumental bronze Aso Oke, first featured in Puryear’s presentation at the 2019 Venice Biennale, is in the shape of a traditional aso oke, the ceremonial Nigerian cap with a crown that flips over the ear. Just as the aso oke has become a symbol of African political independence, Puryear’s sculpture reflects his interest in the symbolic significance of everyday objects, in particular, the ways these items convey liberty, an enduring theme for the artist.
ProvenanceThe artist; [Matthew Marks Gallery, New York]; purchased by the MFAH, 2020.
Exhibition History"Martin Puryear: Liberty/Libertà," United States Pavilion, Giardini della Biennale, Venice, May 11–November 24, 2019.
Published References Rapaport, Brooke K, Darby English, Anne M. Wagner, and Tobi Haslett. Martin Puryear: Liberty = Libertà. Berlin: Hatje Cantz Verlag, 2019 Canning, Susan. “Martin Puryear,” Sculpture Magazine, November 14, 2019. https://sculpturemagazine.art/martin-puryear/ Clyatt, Bob. “Martin Puryear: Liberty/Libertà at Venice Biennale, American Pavilion,” White Hot Magazine, June 2019. https://whitehotmagazine.com/articles/at-venice-biennale-american-pavilion/4318 Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks
Signed and stamped: M Puryear, 2/3, [W]

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

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Untitled II
Martin Puryear
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2002
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taken from http://www.ulae.com/martinpuryear/MartinPuryear_2016_UntitledState1.aspx
Martin Puryear
Untitled (State 1)
2016
Drypoint, etching, soft ground etching, sugar lift, open bite and aquatint in colors on wove paper, bon à tirer of an edition of 29
2017.106
Fern
Martin Puryear
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2000
Woodcut
2001.190.4
Esther
Martin Puryear
Esther
2000
Woodcut
2001.190.5
Martin Puryear