Inge Hardison

In the 1940s, Hardison began sculpting while performing a play. During her breaks off-stage, she sculpted heads and busts of her castmates that went on to ignite a lifelong career working with clay.

Sojourner Truth is from Hardison’s series Negro Giants in History. Her mission as an artist was centered around creating affordable artwork of Black Americans that could be used as inspiration and educational tools for adults, schoolchildren, college students, etc.

“By memorializing such great, selfless people, I have been able to put within the experience of many schoolchildren, college students and adults those much-needed models of inspiration, and many of those who read the biographies of these sculptured heroes are encouraged to try to make their own lives more meaningful.” -Inge Hardison quoted in The New York Times, April 2016

In 1990, New York State presented Hardison’s original sculpture of the great abolitionist Sojourner Truth to Nelson Mandela.

Title: Sojourner Truth
Artist: Inge Hardison (1914 – 2016)
Date: 1968
Medium: cast alvastone
Dimensions: 23 inches
Accession Number: H77.31

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