Robert Pruitt

Exhibition October 26, 2019 − December 31, 2020
Robert Pruittbest known for his huge figurative drawings, which explore the diversity of the African diaspora, juxtaposing contrasting cultural symbols. He said that most of his work "relates to the past, present and future ... This idea is to curtail time."

In her project, Pruitt portrays members of the local community who wear and interact with works from the museum’s collection, including ancient Egyptian beaded dresses, 20th-century Yoruba wraps, and Harriet Powers’s American-style quilted quilt.

At the center of all the work is a set of 19th-century ceramic jugs — some of the earliest surviving aesthetic items produced by African Americans, which, according to Pruitt, represent identity and culture in transition.