Robin Antar

Onward and Forward

2000

Sculptor Robin Antar has been dubbed Brooklyn’s answer to artist Andy Warhol for how she observes and documents the American experience. She was born blind in one eye in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in 1957. She began sculpting as a means to cope when her family relocated to Brooklyn, New York. Antar feels her vision impairment is a blessing, giving her a different perspective on shape and composition. 

Antar’s earlier abstract work explored profound topics of the human experience, like conversation, meditation and relationships. She lost her son to drug addiction when he was 26 and used her art to channel trauma into healing. Her stone knot sculpture David’s Knot in Flames is a tribute to her son and a reminder to others that there is hope in life beyond the struggles.

Antar’s realist pieces are inspired by her desire to answer the question, “What is America?” Following 9/11, Antar wanted to express her feelings about what being an American means. Through vibrant Pop art sculptures, she has recreated iconic brand products and symbols of the American lifestyle. Antar has said, “I achieved my goal when the U.S. government wrote to tell me I cannot copyright a work of art because it too closely resembled the product that I chose to record in stone. The day I received that letter was one of the happiest days of my life.”

Antar’s work has been shown in hundreds of exhibitions, publications and media presentations, including on the Food Network, in the Huffington Post and on HGTV. She was the first female artist invited to exhibit at the Pop International Galleries in New York, which features works by Rolling Stones musician Ronnie Wood and Warhol, among others.

On 1stDibs, find a selection of Robin Antar’s still life sculptures, abstract sculptures and decorative objects.