Biography
Nari Ward is known for his sculptural installations composed of discarded material such as baby strollers, shopping carts, bottles, doors, television sets, cash registers and shoelaces, among other materials. Intentionally leaving the meaning of his work open, he re-contextualises found objects in thought-provoking juxtapositions that create complex, metaphorical meanings to confront social and political issues surrounding race, poverty and consumer culture.
Ward’s work has been shown in several solo exhibitions, including We the People, which debuted at the New Museum, New York (2019) and travelled to Contemporary Arts Museum Houston (2019) and the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver (2020); Nari Ward: G.O.A.T., Again, DeCordova Museum & Sculpture Park, Massachusetts (2018); Nari Ward: Sun Splashed, Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston (2017); and Nari Ward: Origin of Good[s], Château de Blandy-les-Tours, Blandy, France (2013). His work has also been featured in many group exhibitions, such as the Chengdu Biennale, China (2021); The Warmth of Other Suns, The Phillips Collection, Washington (2019); Spots, Dots, Pips, Tiles: An Exhibition About Dominoes, Perez Art Museum Miami (2017); Contemporary Art & Design Biennial, Piacenza, Italy (2016); and The Great Mother, Fondazione Nicola Trussardi, Palazzo Reale, Milan (2015), among others/
Ward’s work can be found in the collections of Sharjah Art Foundation; GAM, Galleria Civica di Arte, Torino; Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston; Istanbul Modern, Istanbul; Musée d’Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean, Luxembourg; National Gallery of Victoria, Southbank, Australia’ and Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington.
He is the receipt of numerous awards, including Vilcek Prize in Fine Arts, New York (2017); Joyce Award, The Joyce Foundation, Chicago (2015); Nadine Carter Russell Chair, LSU College of Art + Design, Louisiana (2013); and Rome Prize, American Academy of Rome (2012).
Ward holds a BA from City University of New York, Hunter College, New York (1989) and an MFA from City University of New York, Brooklyn College, Brooklyn (199. Born in 1963 in St Andrew, Jamaica, he currently lives and works in New York.
SAF participation:
Sharjah Biennial 7
