Black Artists Matter: a selection of influential African American artists from Texas A&M University Collections

Richard Hunt
September 12, 1935 –

Photo of Richard Hunt in his studio

(Image source: Thomas McCormick, Chicago Magazine, January 20, 2015)

Artist Biography

Richard Hunt is a talented artist and sculptor who was born in Chicago. From a young age he demonstrated an interest in drawing, painting and sculpture, accrediting his interest in the arts to his mother who was also an artist. From his father, a local barber and businessman, he gained a talent for business and an interest in politics. Hunt went on to develop his artistic skills at the Junior School of the Art Institute and later in college at the Art Institute of Chicago, where he graduated with a BA in education in 1957. While still a student at the School of Art Institute of Chicago he began to exhibit his sculpture all around Chicago in all sorts of places like galleries, art fairs, and local art centers. In his Junior year his piece “Arachne” was purchased by the Museum of Modern Art in New York. In 1962 he became the youngest artist to exhibit a piece in the Seattle World’s Fair.

Despite his early success, Hunt continued to experiment with a wide variety of sculptural techniques effectively creating a very rich body of work for himself in the process. His profound insight into social and political issues as well as his unique ability to transform and fuse raw material with space has earned him fame and respect from many. With around 55 sculptures Hunt has completed more public sculptures than any other artist in the United States. He was appointed by President Lyndon Johnson to serve on the governing board of the National Endowment for the Arts and he also served on boards of the Smithsonian Institution. In addition to his numerous awards and accolades, Hunt was also the very first African American to have a major solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. His work can be found in various museums and both public and private collections around the world. He has received the Guggenheim, Ford, and Tamarind fellowships. The International Sculpture Center awarded him the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009.

“In some works it is my intention to develop the kind of forms Nature might create if only heat and steel were available to her.” — Richard Hunt