The Brooklyn Museum's exhibition, "Nancy Elizabeth Prophet: I Will Not Bend an Inch," highlights the life and work of Afro-Indigenous sculptor Nancy Elizabeth Prophet. Born in 1890, she became the first graduate of color from the Rhode Island School of Design and later studied in Paris. The exhibition features galleries that showcase her sculptures and explore her legacy; notable works include the cherrywood bust "Congalais," referencing African resistance to imperialism. Her art intricately marries European and African influences, encapsulating themes of identity, resilience, and cultural pride, reflecting her unique heritage throughout her career until her death in 1960.
Prophet's integration of historic European and African motifs is apparent in the blend of realism, abstraction, and emotional depth in her sculptures.
On view among the other sculptures, "Congalais" (1931) is a cherrywood bust representing an anonymous Maasai man from East Africa.
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