New York artist Hugh Locke

Appointed to “gilt” the facade of the Metropolitan Museum

The Guyana born British artist hew Locke ushered in his “highlight” moment. He has just exhibited the large installation the procession at the Tate British Museum of art, and is now commissioned by the Metropolitan Museum of art in New York to create a series of works for its facade. The series, entitled gilt, will be on display from September 16, 2022 to May 22, 2023.

Metropolitan Museum of art, New York

Hew Locke

Locke was born in Edinburgh in 1959 and grew up in Guyana in the south of America. After that, he returned to Falmouth to study art in 1988 and obtained a master’s degree in sculpture from the Royal College of art in London in 1994. Locke’s artistic practice explored the visual representation of power and cultural diversity, focusing on a wide range of objects, including royal portraits, family emblems, public statues, trophies, weapons and costumes. He combines his Caribbean and British backgrounds, combined with his own political and cultural concerns, and integrates modern materials and historical themes in his works.

Hugh Locke’s the ranks in Tate Britain

When the architect Richard Morris Hunt designed the wall facade of the Metropolitan Museum, he planned to place a group of sculptures by the neoclassical artist Karl bitter between each pair of Greek style columns. But until the museum’s budget has been exhausted, the niches on its facade remain empty. In 2019, Kenyan American artist wangjixi Mutu became the first appointed artist of the niche project and designed four sculptures for him, As curator, Max hollein hopes to “strive to make contemporary art run through the whole building and break the gap between departments, historical periods and continents”. Locke’s work will consist of four “complete or broken trophy”, the New York Times wrote. (text / Qian Xueer)