Richard Hunt (1935 – 2023) was a prominent sculptor whose career spanned seven decades. Often made from items he found in scrap yards, his work drew inspiration from his daily life, significant events and the people he met. Hunt was exposed to different art forms from early childhood through his mother, Etoria, who was a music enthusiast. She introduced Richard to music, art and historically important cultural figures, sparking a deep interest in the arts from a young age.
Hunt’s mother enrolled him in violin lessons and art classes at nearby community centers on the South Side of Chicago. He continued his studies at the Art Institute of Chicago, where he discovered his love for sculpting through visiting exhibitions and museums. The Art Institute lacked the proper welding materials for Hunt to pursue his work in the way he wished, so he made his own space in the basement of his father’s barbershop. It was here that he made one of his most notable pieces, “Hero’s Head,” after attending the 1955 open-casket funeral of 14-year-old Emmett Till, who lived only blocks away from Hunt’s childhood home.
Hunt drew inspiration from the events surrounding him, both personal and political. Even after being drafted into the US Army, where he served as a medic and illustrator, he kept up his practice in an off-base studio and exhibited impactful work in galleries.
The museum first published “Richard Hunt: Synthesis” in 2018, in conjunction with a retrospective exhibition of the same name. This first edition sold out quickly, reflecting a surge of interest in Hunt’s work. Following the death of the artist and the popularity of the first edition, museum staff saw an opportunity to refine and expand the publication through a second edition. Edited by Shawnya L. Harris, the museum’s Larry D. and Brenda A. Thompson Curator of African American and African Diasporic Art, the second edition includes new images and essays that provide additional information about the artist. Jon Ott of the Richard Hunt Legacy Foundation details Hunt’s connections to the American South, while Nijah Cunningham of Hunter College expands on Hunt’s printmaking.
The second edition of “Synthesis” brings new insight into Hunt’s work, tracing where he started from to where his art took him. Toward the end of the second edition, an interview with Hunt, conducted by Harris, delves into a first-hand account of Hunt’s life. Harris expressed pride in interviewing Hunt, mentioning that it felt like a “full circle moment” after visiting a previous exhibition of Hunt’s. She said, “I always admired Richard, and it felt like an honor interviewing him publicly after so many years.”
Authored by:
Sundus Abukar
