Renowned Sculptor Richard Hunt Dies at 88

Hunt, known for his abstract metal sculptures, leaves behind a legacy of influential works and upcoming installations.

Richard Hunt, a pioneering sculptor known for his abstract works of bent metal and welded steel, has died at the age of 88 in his Chicago home.
Hunt's sculptures, often seen in museums and public sites across the US, were known to evoke figures that transmute and grow, sometimes visualizing elements of Black history.
Hunt was commissioned in 2022 to create a new work for the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, set to open in 2025. The piece, titled 'Book Bird', will feature a bird perched atop a book, ready to take flight.
Another forthcoming sculpture from Hunt, a 15-foot-tall work titled 'Hero Ascending', will be installed near the home of Mamie Till and her son Emmett Till, a Black Chicagoan teen who was lynched by a white mob in 1955.
Hunt's work has been recognized and praised by many, including former President Obama who referred to him as 'one of the greatest artists Chicago ever produced.'