Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 8

Artis Lane
"Nubian Mask" Male, Head, Sculpture, Bronze

1970 -1990s

Price Upon Request
Price Upon Request
Price Upon Request
Price Upon Request
Price Upon Request
Price Upon Request
Price Upon Request
Price Upon Request
Price Upon Request
Price Upon Request
Shipping
Retrieving quote...
The 1stDibs Promise:
Authenticity Guarantee,
Money-Back Guarantee,
24-Hour Cancellation

About the Item

"Nubian Mask" is a 3/4 life size face of a man with eyes down cast. There is a deep sense of quiet and contemplation surrounding the subject. Ms. Lane has talked about how a number of her other sculptures depict the awakening of man from a more dormant state while this piece shows man in a spiritual metaphysical state. The challenge she set herself was to create art that could symbolize and communicate certain spiritual truths that have guided Lane’s life and creative endeavors and led to her Metaphysical work symbolizing generic man emerging into spiritual consciousness. All my life I have worked on three levels of consciousness: Portraits, Social Injustice & Metaphysics In my work I strive to heal, uplift and inspire viewers and collectors to find perfection in their own being. - Artis Lane Born Artis Marie Shreve in 1927, near an all-Black village in North Buxton, Ontario, Canada. After three years of art college in Toronto, Canada, Artis moved to Detroit where she met and married journalist and activist Bill Lane. In Detroit Artis Lane continued her training at Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Cranbrook was designed by architect and faculty member, Eliel Saarinen who collaborated with Charles and Ray Eames on chair and furniture design. Numerous creative artists who are alumni of Cranbrook include: Harry Bertoia, Florence Knoll, Jack Lenor Larsen, Donald Lipski, Duane Hanson, Nick Cave, Hani Rashid, George Nelson, Urban Jupena (Nationally recognized fiber artist), Cory Puhlman (televised Pastry Chef extraordinaire), Thom O’Connor (Lithographs), Paul Evans (Brutalist-inspired sculpted metal furnishings), Eugene Caples (small bronze images/abstract), Morris Brose (Bronze Sculptures), Herb Babcock known for blown glass) and Larry Butcher (mixed media abstract artist.) While in the Motor City she painted and sculpted the portraits of many of the business and political leaders of the day; Governor George Romney, Ford family members and Coleman Young, the Mayor of Detroit. After her divorce, she was invited by Diahann Carroll to move from Detroit to come live in New York City where she met and married, Vince Cannon. They spent time in Texas, Ruidoso, New Mexico and traveled to Mexico City, Mexico to paint many of the prominent families in the region. Eventually she settled in Los Angeles and has recently relocated to Detroit. Her portrait and sculpture work has depicted dignitaries like Jaqueline Kennedy, Nelson Mandela, Gordon Getty, President Reagan, President Obama, First Ladies, Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama, Mrs. Walter Annenberg, Nancy Kissinger, including her most recent portrait commissioned by Academy Award winner, Jaime Fox. It’s an elegant painting of Oprah Winfrey, which was unveiled live on her show. Artis Lane has sculpted Don Cornelius, Quincy Jones, Lupita Nyong’o, Lena Horne, Stevie Wonder, and Magic Johnson, and many more. In the 1970’s, social issues became the next focus of her work, which included “Tear on the Face of America,” her civil rights statement, and “The Beginning,” a now famous painting depicting a young Rosa Parks seated in the fateful bus. Artis was honored by the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC during the installation of her bronze sculpture of civil rights leader and longtime friend, Rosa Parks. In 1999, she was selected to execute and design the Congressional Medal of Honor awarded to Ms. Parks. “My Civil Rights images led me naturally to ideas about what and who we are outside of race. I went from there to the most important body of work, the metaphysical images of generic man and generic woman emerging out of the ignorance of material concepts and evolving into spiritual awareness.” Artis Lane. The bigger challenge was to create art that could symbolize and communicate certain spiritual truths that have guided Lane’s life and creative endeavors for most of her adult years and led to her Metaphysical work. She leaves the workings of the foundry: the gaiting material, ceramic shell mold, etc., (the “birthing” materials of the foundry), on the bronze to symbolize generic man emerging out of material thinking into spiritual consciousness. She then shows the work in pairs… the traditional black patina bronze, with the ceramic shell pieces as a metaphor for the moralistic/materialistic conversations that mankind has wrestled with throughout eternity. The new millennium brought new challenges and celebrations of her work. At the age of 80, Lane was commissioned to create a 12 ft. bronze of her “Emerging First Man.” The sculpture was created for an 1100 acre private estate community in Atlanta, GA. In 2007, she was honored by The California African American Museum with a retrospective of her life’s work which included almost 100 works of art. In 2009, First Lady Michelle Obama unveiled Lane’s bust of Abolitionist and Suffragette, Sojourner Truth, which was the first African American woman to be installed in the new Emancipation Hall and is now a part of the collection of the United States Capitol. Ms. Lane’s solo exhibit, “The Art of Artis Lane,” at the Forest Lawn Museum, Glendale, Ca in 2011, brought a thought provoking retrospective of her art to the public including the “Divine Metaphysics” series. Her bust of Arnett Hartsfield, Jr., Pioneering Firefighter & Activist, unveiled at The African American Firefighter Museum in Los Angeles in 2012. The California African American Museum in Los Angeles, mounted a retrospective exhibition entitled “A Woman’s Journey: The Life and Work of Artis Lane” in 2007/2008 and subsequently honored her with its Lifetime Achievement Award. Lane presented an official portrait of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, which was unveiled at City Hall by Mayor Eric Garcetti in 2014. All are merely a few recognition of her achievements over the decades. Lane’s History Makers interview was made a permanent part of the Library of Congress Collection in 2014. Her Artwork is displayed around the world. Artis has been a constant presence at the openings of her artistic colleagues in the region. As one of the honored “elders,” she provides encouragement and support for the younger African American artists who strive to use their own talents to express visions of social, ethical, and spiritual importance. She is, in short a force of nature whose life and work have graced both her native Canada and her adopted United States. All sculptures are cast to order. Allow 3 to 6 months. Editions are limited to 10. The piece will be signed by Artis Lane with a notarized letter of authentication. The sculpture pictured is what they refer to as a "first off" and is never for sale.
  • Creator:
    Artis Lane (1927, Canadian)
  • Creation Year:
    1970 -1990s
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 12 in (30.48 cm)Width: 6 in (15.24 cm)Depth: 7 in (17.78 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    Detroit, MI
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU128616651352

More From This Seller

View All
"Madonna" Bronze Sculpture with Patina, Marble base, Figurative, Female
By Artis Lane
Located in Detroit, MI
All my life I have worked on three levels of consciousness: Portraits, Social Injustice & Metaphysics. In my work I strive to heal, uplift and inspire viewers and collectors to find ...
Category

Late 20th Century Contemporary Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Marble, Bronze

"New Man" Nude Male Sculpture, Bronze with Black Patina
By Artis Lane
Located in Detroit, MI
"New Man" standing is a subject that continually holds the interest of the artist, a depiction of man awakening from a more dormant state to stretch into the glory of his creation. M...
Category

Late 20th Century Contemporary Nude Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

"First Man" Bronze with Black Patina, Nude Male Sculpture
By Artis Lane
Located in Detroit, MI
"First Man" is a contemplative figure of an nude man with his hands clasped together and his head thrown back suggesting an individual deep in spiritual thought. Ms. Lane has stated ...
Category

Late 20th Century Contemporary Nude Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

"Woman" Bronze Sculpture with Patina, Female Nude
By Artis Lane
Located in Detroit, MI
All my life I have worked on three levels of consciousness: Portraits, Social Injustice & Metaphysics In my work I strive to heal, uplift and inspire viewers and collectors to find p...
Category

Late 20th Century Contemporary Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

"Emerging First Man" Bronze Sculpture, Male Figurative, Ceramic Shell, Resin
By Artis Lane
Located in Detroit, MI
All my life I have worked on three levels of consciousness: Portraits, Social Injustice & Metaphysics. In my work I strive to heal, uplift and inspire viewers and collectors to find ...
Category

1990s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Morris Brose "Bronze Bull" Figurative Sculptural Abstract
Located in Detroit, MI
"Bronze Bull" is an exquisite example of Morris Brose's abstract/figurative sculpture. No soft edges on this piece and no invitation to caress, the power, strength and beauty of the bronze are front and center and create awe. "Bronze Bull" is a free-standing piece signed on the base. Morris Brose, Polish/American was born in Wyszkow, Poland. He became a sculptor and instructor of sculpture at the Detroit Institute of Arts, Wayne State University and Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Cranbrook was designed by architect and faculty member, Eliel Saarinen who collaborated with Charles and Ray Eames on chair and furniture design. Numerous creative artists who are alumni of Cranbrook include: Harry Bertoia, Florence Knoll, Jack Lenor Larsen, Donald Lipski...
Category

Late 20th Century Modern Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

You May Also Like

Tête Bronze Sculpture Tete Head Face
By KOBE
Located in Utrecht, NL
Tête Bronze Sculpture Tete Head Face KOBE, pseudonym of Jacques Saelens, was a Belgian artist (Kortrijk, Belgium 1950 – Saint-Julien (Var), France 2014). H...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Untitled, Head Of An Artist, Avant-Garde Bronze Sculpture
By Phillip Pavia
Located in Surfside, FL
As an artist and writer, Philip Pavia was a committed member of the Abstract Art community throughout his long, distinguished career. Pavia was active in the art world until his death in 2005 and received immense critical praise for his artistic and literary contributions. Recognized for his signature work The Ides of March, he produced monumental pieces that alternated between figurative and abstract styles. While he was a dedicated sculptor, Pavia extended that passion into writing and published It is: A Magazine for Abstract Art. Born in 1911 of Provencal-Italian descent, the Stratford, Connecticut native received early inspiration from his father, a professional stone cutter. Pavia's sculptures are characterized by rough, chiseled bronze and marble, his father's trade was no doubt a significant influence. In fact, by 1934, his father was so enthusiastic about his son's passion that he encouraged young Philip to study at the Academia delle Belle Arti in Florence, Italy. Before his studies in Europe, Pavia was briefly a student at Yale University but quickly dropped out and enrolled at New York's Art Student League. While attending school, he befriended artists Jackson Pollock and Arshile Gorky. All three were to become major players of the vibrant new Abstract Art movement. At his father's advice, Pavia embarked on his European experience and was introduced to other influential artists of his time. Traveling between Italy and Paris, Pavia met John Ferren...
Category

20th Century Abstract Expressionist Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Sculpture of Male Head in Bronze "Diadji"
By William J Rushton
Located in New York, NY
Bronze life-size male head with a dark brown patina. Rushton sculpts all of his busts using live models over the course of multiple sittings. While realistic and classical in charac...
Category

2010s Realist Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Bronze Sculpture, African Head, On Base, 20th Century
Located in MARSEILLE, FR
African head in bronze with black patina, on black and white marble base Very good quality of carving and patina Base with some wear and small chips of use In the style of Riccard...
Category

20th Century French Art Deco Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Marble, Bronze

1950s Modernist Abstract Bust of an African American
Located in Oakland, CA
Ceramic bust of an African American, strong imagery done in the Modernist ethos of the Abstractionists, WPA artists of the day. The ceramic bust is mounted on a black painted wooden ...
Category

Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Busts

Materials

Ceramic, Wood, Paint

Modern Art Bronze Male Bust Sculpture T.B.-1
Located in Toledo, OH
Modern art bronze male bust sculpture. Laminate base. Very nice condition. Dimensions: 8" depth x 9" W x 17" H.
Category

20th Century Unknown Modern Busts

Materials

Bronze