For work that spans portraiture, oil painting and bronze sculpture, the Canadian artist Artis Lane draws from the spiritual and emotional aspects of human existence. Lane is a trailblazer: She was the first Black woman to be admitted to Cranbrook Academy of Art — a legendary institution within art, design and architecture — and her bronze bust of Sojourner Truth was the first statue of an African-American woman in the United States Capitol.
Lane was born in North Buxton, Ontario, in a town predominantly inhabited by the descendants of slaves who arrived in Canada by way of the Underground Railroad. As her artistic career developed, so did her interest in people of African descent as well as her ideas about the physical world and our bodies being vessels, capable of eventually taking on godly characteristics.
“Lane promotes the primacy of corporeal experience with sculptures that speak to Africa as the beginning of human life,” noted the University of Oklahoma’s Journal of Museum Studies in 2008. Her unique approach to depicting the journey between the physical and spiritual worlds has been to work outside the constraints of the traditional bronze finishing process, leaving the ceramic casing, wire and tubing used to cast it intact as part of the finished piece, whereby the wire is symbolic of bondage to the physical form.
Lane attended what was then called the Ontario College of Art (today, it’s the Ontario College of Art and Design University) on the Edith Chapman scholarship before studying painting at Cranbrook. She took an active role in the artistic communities in the various cities she lived in over the years. In New York and Los Angeles, she befriended actors Cary Grant and Diahann Carroll, and in Detroit, she painted commissioned portraits of auto industry executives to pay the bills. She would go on to paint portraits of many esteemed figures such as President John F. Kennedy, Frank Sinatra, Michael Jordan and Aretha Franklin. Today, a sculpture Lane created of Rosa Parks is on display at the National Portrait Gallery.
Lane received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the California African American Museum and an honorary degree from her alma mater, Cranbrook Academy of Art.
Find a collection of Artis Lane art on 1stDibs.
"New Woman" Bronze, Frontal Nude Female, Figurative Sculpture
By Artis Lane
Located in Detroit, MI
"New Woman" is an iconic portrait of a female woman. Her work has been described as follows: "Lane captures the body in various poses, depicting the movement and fluidity of living i...
Bronze, Metal, Steel
Price Upon Request
"Spiritual Man" Standing Figurative Male Sculpture, Nude, Transparent Kalonite
By Artis Lane
Located in Detroit, MI
"Spiritual Man" standing is a subject that continually held the interest of the artist, a depiction of man awakening from a more dormant state to stretch into the glory of his creati...
Kaolin
Price Upon Request
"New Birth" Female, Nude, Figurative, Sculpture, Bronze, Acrylic
By Artis Lane
Located in Detroit, MI
"Birth" is a small intimate sculpture of a women in the act of pending birth. She gazes skyward beyond her own condition of birthing an earthly being, to encompass the intellectual a...
Bronze
Price Upon Request
"Birth" Sculpture, Bronze with Black Patina, Female, Nude
By Artis Lane
Located in Detroit, MI
"Birth" is a small intimate sculpture of a women in the act of pending birth. She gazes skyward beyond her own condition of birthing an earthly being, to encompass the intellectual a...
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 ...
Bronze
Price Upon Request
"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...
Bronze
Price Upon Request
"Nubian Mask" Male, Head, Sculpture, Bronze
By Artis Lane
Located in Detroit, MI
"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 o...
Bronze
Price Upon Request
"Rosa Parks Ascending Steps" Bronze, Portrait, Iconic Figure, Historical Scene
By Artis Lane
Located in Detroit, MI
"Rosa Parks Ascending Steps" is the portrait of an iconic heroine at a moment of historical significance, chance and change as she is ascending the courthouse steps...
Bronze
"Rebirth" Bronze Sculpture with Patina, Figures, Naked, Male
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 ...
Bronze
Price Upon Request
"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 ...
Bronze
Price Upon Request
"Rosa Parks" Bronze Sculpture, Figurative, Female, Portrait
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 perfection in their own being. - Artis Lane "Rosa Parks...
Bronze
Price Upon Request
"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 ...
Marble, Bronze
Price Upon Request
"Wise Virgin I (Celebration)" Bronze Sculpture, Figurative, Nude Pregnant 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 ...
Bronze
Price Upon Request
"Sojourner Truth" Bronze Sculptural Bust, Portrait,
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 ...
Bronze
Price Upon Request
"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...
Bronze
$7,800
H 20.48 in W 3.94 in D 4.73 in
"Vigils Echo 5" Contemporary Nude Sculpture of a Woman with Bunny Mask
By Rachel Ann Stevenson
Located in Utrecht, NL
The mysterious artworks by Rachel Ann Stevenson invite you into a dream world. Rachel Ann sees artists as day dreamers who can show the impossible...
Bronze
$13,000
H 45.27 in W 13.5 in D 13.5 in
Tolla Inbar, Dynamic relation, Bronze sculpture
By Tolla Inbar
Located in Tel Aviv, IL
Tolla Inbar, Dynamic relation, Bronze sculpture. Edition of 50
Bronze
$1,800
H 20 in W 12 in D 7 in
Venus de Milo (Aphrodite) Bust /// Jack Graves Greek Myth Painting Sculpture Art
By Jack Graves III
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Jack Graves III (American, 1988-) Title: "Venus de Milo (Aphrodite) Bust" Series: Sculpture *Signed, titled, and dated by Graves on bottom Year: 2026 Medium: Original Acrylic...
Cast Stone, Marble, Enamel
$780Sale Price|58% Off
H 7.5 in W 14.6 in D 6.5 in
After Botero - Horizontal Nude Woman Bronze Sculpture
By Fernando Botero
Located in Cuauhtemoc, Ciudad de México
After Fernando Botero – RECLINING NUDE Bronze Sculpture Edition of 50 This beautifully executed bronze sculpture is an After Fernando Botero work, created in faithful homage to th...
Marble, Bronze
$800
H 15.75 in W 4.38 in D 4.38 in
Venus de Milo Sculpture (Alexandros of Antioch) /// Contemporary Classics Nude
By Jack Graves III
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Jack Graves III (American, 1988-) Title: "Venus de Milo Sculpture (Alexandros of Antioch)" Series: Sculpture *Signed, titled, and dated by Graves on bottom Year: 2022 Medium...
Cast Stone, Marble, Enamel
On Hold|$16,533
H 22.45 in W 8.27 in D 7.09 in
Aquila- 21st Century Contemporary Bronze Realistic Sculpture of a Nude Boy
By Wim van der Kant
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Aquila Bronze Sculpture on pedestal of marble Hight bronze 57 cm with pedestal of marble (included) 68 cm Wim van der Kant's sculptures are in bronze...
Marble, Bronze
Man with Arms Raised
Located in London, GB
Bronze Numbered 1/10 32cm × 10cm × 10cm (incl. base) Ian Rank-Broadley is one of the foremost sculptors working today. His effigy of the late Queen Elizabeth II appears on all UK an...
Bronze
$1,623
H 13.78 in W 11.82 in D 5.52 in
Fae – Victoria by Nando Kallweit. Bronze Sculpture, Edition of 50
By Nando Kallweit
Located in Coltishall, GB
Fae – Victoria is an elegant figurative bronze sculpture by Nando Kallweit. Inspired by the the legend of the phoenix, this female figure has graceful wings instead of arms. The pi...
Bronze
Torso of Ryan
Located in London, GB
Bronze Numbered 2/10 57cm × 18cm × 40cm (incl. base) Ian Rank-Broadley is one of the foremost sculptors working today. His effigy of the late Queen Elizabeth II appears on all UK an...
Bronze
Torso of Aron
Located in London, GB
Bronze Numbered 10/10 36cm × 11.5cm × 18cm (incl. base) Ian Rank-Broadley is one of the foremost sculptors working today. His effigy of the late Queen Elizabeth II appears on all UK...
Bronze
Arlen Reclining
Located in London, GB
Bronze Numbered 4/10 21cm × 26cm × 57cm Ian Rank-Broadley is one of the foremost sculptors working today. His effigy of the late Queen Elizabeth II appears on all UK and Commonwealt...
Bronze
$60,000
H 110.25 in W 35.5 in D 27.5 in
Trio VI - Monumental Bronze Sculpture With Three Balancing Acrobat Figures
By Jesus Curia Perez
Located in Chicago, IL
This monumental bronze sculpture by Jesús Curiá features three youthful acrobats in a feat of coordination and balance. The composition of...
Bronze, Steel