Elizabeth Catlett:
A Black Revolutionary Artist and All That It Implies
Location Brooklyn Museum, New York
Year 2024-2025
Typology Exhibition Design
Size 14,000 ft²The exhibition presents over 200 works spanning the lifetime of Elizabeth Catlett—renowned sculptor, printmaker, feminist, and lifelong advocate for social justice. From early ceramics to late-career bronzes, the selection traces the evolution of her artistic practice and her enduring commitment to representing the dignity and strength of Black and Mexican people.
Organized chronologically, the exhibition moves from her early works to her collaboration with the Taller de Gráfica Popular in Mexico, culminating in her large-scale public commissions. The design reflects this arc of growth: beginning with sculptures on single pedestals and small groupings, gradually expanding into larger, more monumental arrangements, with prints dispersed throughout.
Two educational spaces reflect her lifelong enthusiasm for public engagement: one invites visitors to handle magnetic print motifs drawn from her works and touch the materials of her practice; the other offers a quieter space for reading and reflection.
The exhibition is organized by the Brooklyn Museum and the National Gallery of Art, Washington.
Collaborator
Curator: Dalila Scruggs, Catherine Morris, Mary Lee
Photography: Paula Abreu PitaPress
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