Nari Ward: Art Basel Qatar

Lehmann Maupin’s presentation at Art Basel Qatar features a focused selection of new and recent work by Nari Ward, whose practice spans more than three decades and is internationally recognized for large-scale, mixed-media installations made from found and repurposed materials. Ward’s work addresses issues of race, migration, identity, consumer culture, and spirituality, often drawing from materials sourced in his longtime neighborhood of Harlem, New York. The presentation coincides with Ward’s continued international visibility, including recent and concurrent biennial exhibitions and his major retrospective Ground Break at Pirelli HangarBicocca in Milan (2023). At the center of the presentation is a large-scale installation composed of Balance Fountain (2013–2014) and Groundin’ Visible (2023). Balance Fountain recalls a wheelbarrow overflowing with enigmatic cargo—silver shade cloth, oversized golden mango seeds, and elongated metal window balances spilling from an antique barrel. Removed from their original function, the window balances take on metaphorical resonance, suggesting vision, perception, and the conditions through which meaning is shaped. The sculpture rests atop Groundin’ Visible, a floor installation made of bricks overlaid with a copper sheet. Ward’s use of copper reflects his ongoing interest in the material’s energetic properties and cultural associations with healing and restoration. Together, these works evoke the reparative potential of communal gathering and shared space.