Richard Hunt

Richard Hunt (born September 12, 1935, Chicago, IL – died January 16, 2023) was a pioneering American sculptor whose work fused abstraction, organic form, and industrial materials to explore history, mythology, and the African American experience. Working primarily in welded metal, Hunt drew inspiration from nature, music, literature, and the social realities of Black life in the United States, creating dynamic sculptures that balance movement, tension, and lyricism. Over a career spanning more than six decades, he became one of the most influential sculptors of the postwar period and the most widely represented Black sculptor in public art collections in the U.S. His work is held by major institutions including the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Art Institute of Chicago.