Nari Ward - “Carpet Angel” 1993
Nari Ward “Carpet Angel” 1993
Nari Ward is a Jamaican-American contemporary artist born in 1963 known for his large-scale sculptures, installations, and mixed-media works that address themes of race, identity, social issues, and the African diaspora. Born in Jamaica, Ward moved to New York in the early 1980s, where he attended the School of Visual Arts. His work often involves everyday objects and materials, such as found textiles, shoes, ropes, and cans, which he uses to create powerful symbolic imagery. The young Jamaican artist’s work often included symbolisms relating to race, class, and culture. His installations and sculptures often contained everyday discarded objects that are then transformed into important statements on social justice, the legacy of colonialism, and Black identity. Nari Ward is an artist whose work is undeniably influential, but despite his prominence in contemporary art circles, he remains somewhat under recognized in the broader art world. Nari Ward was not recognized for his innovative sculptures and installations until his first major exhibition where the “Carpet Angel” was showcased to many.
The “Carpet Angel” was one of Ward’s first widely known installations. The main material used in the piece is a carpet which he manipulated with careful cuts, shapes, and arrangements to form the figure of an angel. The outstretched wings that are created from the carpet were carefully composed to resemble a sense of movement, even though the material itself is very grounded. The size and scale of the installation also plays a big role in its great impact, like many of Nari Ward’s works, the Carpet Angel is large in size which emphasizes the angel’s presence in the room. The angel is a traditional symbol of purity and divine intervention, it becomes a representation of survival in an unjust world, it offers a moment of grace and hope within a society confined by racial and economic inequality. Additionally, the use of a carpet is a nod to cultural heritage, as carpets have significance in various traditions around the world, including in African and Middle Eastern cultures. The piece includes a widespread list of symbolisms. The carpet symbolizes domesticity, labor and everyday life of working-class communities. It also represents the cultural heritage and history of African (Jamaican) and Islanic culture. The use of the Carpet could also imply a more personal connection to the artist himself, in cultural memory it reflects the history, migration, and survival of African and Caribbean communities. The outstretched wings depicted in the piece depicts protection and freedom, in the “Carpet Angel” specifically it suggests a desire for liberation from the social constraints imposed by race, class, and historical injustice. The combination of an angel with a carpet is a subversion of traditional religious and spiritual symbolism. Ward's reimagining of the angel challenges traditional power structures, by associating divinity with the mundane everyday objects rather than the abstract, and by positioning it within the context of racial and cultural struggle.
“Carpet Angel” by Nari Ward is a poignant and powerful artwork that delves into the intersections of race, culture, history, and spirituality. By transforming an everyday object into a symbol of divine protection and cultural representation, Ward is able to critique social inequality while honoring the resilience of marginalized communities. The work uses symbolism to evoke deeper connections between the material world and the spiritual realm, offering a multifaceted commentary on the complexities of the Black experience in America. Through this work, Ward invites the viewer to reconsider how everyday objects can hold immense cultural and historical significance, and how symbols of purity and hope can emerge from even the most humble of origins. Nari Ward is one of the most under-recognized African-American artists who expresses their voices through installations and sculptures, with this article I hope to bring light to his work. His work is truly fascinating and innovative, they provide everyday mundane objects a chance to be manipulated into something more. Ward’s ability to voice his thoughts and ideas through installations and sculptures in a truly masterful way to poke at social injustice issues. If you had to pick one everyday object to transform into something meaningful like Ward did with the carpet, what would it be and what message would you want it to send?
Nari Ward “Carpet Angel” 1993 (120 × 138 × 36 in. (304.8 × 350.52 × 91.44 cm) Materials: Carpet, plastic bags, plastic bottles, vinyl carpet runner, springs, wood screws, and rope
