Simone Leigh's Limited Edition 'Sentinel IV' Sculpture Will Benefit Color of Change

This week, celebrated American artist Simone Leigh launched a limited edition sculpture, titled Sentinel IV, to benefit the racial justice organization Color of Change. Standing 20 inches tall, the form is inspired by an object used in fertility rituals, with the title of the work alluding to a guard or watchman. The figure has a female body and a spoon as its head; the combination of bodily forms with tools often references spiritual or ceremonial objects.

Sentinel IV doesn’t represent the idea that Black women are strong and invulnerable; rather, it abstracts their formal characteristics. This form is described in West African Art as a power object, something that acts either through formal significance or ritual use. The cast bronze edition is derived from the monumental “parent” sculpture of the same name.

Courtesy Hauser & Wirth

Take a closer look at Sentinel IV in the images above and request more information regarding the sculpture’s price on Hauser & Wirth’s website. 100 percent of the proceeds from the sale of the work will be donated to the aforementioned civil rights advocacy group.

In case you missed it, check out this week’s notable art releases by influential Black artists.