Biography

Nari Ward’s interdisciplinary practice explores questions of race, migration, identity, community, and belonging through sculpture, installation, performance, and multimedia. Best known for transforming found objects collected in his longtime neighbourhood of Harlem, New York, he recontextualises everyday materials to reveal layered social, spiritual, and historical meanings. His assemblages invite multiple interpretations, encouraging reflection on collective experience and memory while foregrounding overlooked histories and community resilience. Through collection and transformation, Ward reveals the extraordinary potential of ordinary materials. Ward’s recent exhibitions include Ground Break at Pirelli HangarBicocca, Milan (2024); Prayer for the Living at Galleria Continua, Dubai (2023); Sharjah Biennial 15 (2023); NGV Triennial, Melbourne (2020); and Nari Ward: We the People at New Museum, New York (2019). Ward earned a BA from Hunter College (1991) and an MFA from Brooklyn College (1992). He received the Alain Locke Award (2024), was elected a National Academician (2022), and received the Vilcek Prize in Fine Arts (2017).

Artworks

MiZa Observation Deck

Ground Break Duty

Nari Ward

Details: Ground Break Duty