Local Voices S3 E4: Dana King

Duration : 24 minutes, 28 seconds

close up of a bronze statue of a man in a suit

Meet Dana King, classical figurative sculptor and creator of many public monuments of Black bodies in bronze. King opens up her studio space and shares how sculptures can provide culturally impactful memories and moments of connection.

Dana King’s sculptures link generations by revealing common threads: shared values, experiences, and aspirations. She knows they help those alive today compare and contrast their world with that of social pioneers, both enslaved and free, whose courage and commitment to excellence helped create modern society. She studies the strength and resilience of African descendants and creates pieces made of clay with her hands that are then cast in bronze. King prefers sculptures because they inhabit space and space is power. She believes sculpture provides an opportunity to shape culturally significant memories that determine how African descendants are publicly held and remembered.

Learn more about Dana King and her work.

Bronze sculpture of a man holding a tophat

King, William Lanson, bronze, 2020 New Haven, CT. Maya McFadden Photographer

close up of a bronze sculpture, focused on a woman's face with glasses

King, Guided by Justice. Courtesy of artist

close up of a bronze statue of a man in a suit

King, William Lanson, bronze, 2020 New Haven, CT. Leigh Busby Photography

About Local Voices

Local Voices is a new podcast series from the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco designed to celebrate art and Bay Area creativity. Local Voices highlights unique perspectives from Bay Area visual artists, musicians, scholars, community leaders, and thinkers aimed to reframe exhibitions and collections through relevant and local narratives. Through these diverse access points, we welcome the Bay Area community and beyond to engage in meaningful and inspiring narratives.

 

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