A New York courthouse’s plinths kept statues of men only for more than a century. Thanks to the work of a Pakistani-American artist, that is no longer the case.
On the roof of a neoclassical building in Manhattan, a woman sculpture measuring eight feet tall and glistening with gold joins Zoroaster, Confucius, Moses, and six other male ancient jurists.
The 53-year-old artist Shahzia Sikander wanted to draw attention to the underrepresentation of women in American public statues, which often honour white men.
“Representation matters and women representation (matters) in spaces which have been fundamentally very patriarchal, like law and art,” the artist told AFP.
“So of course, placing the character on the roof of the courthouse, the context of the courthouse allows a very different conversation to take shape,” the 53-year-old added.
Since it first stood in Manhattan’s Flatiron District in the late 19th century, the structure has had 10 plinths. An image of the Prophet Mohammed was taken down from one in 1955 as a result of objections from Pakistan, Indonesia, and Egypt.
Then several statues were moved into position, but a plinth remained empty.
Where the Byzantine monarch Justinian once stood, Sikander’s sculpture now stands.
Her statue features a woman with braided horn-like hair rising from a pink lotus flower.
It draws attention to the discrimination that women still experience, “whether it be rights to health and education, equal access to the workforce, gender-based violence, racial discrimination, or class discrimination,” according to Sikander.
Sikander, who was born in Lahore and immigrated to the US 30 years ago, gave his piece the title “NOW” in reference to current events, which his detractors claim have destroyed women’s rights.
When it overruled Roe v. Wade in June of last year, the Supreme Court, which has a decidedly conservative bent since Donald Trump was elected president, abolished the federal right to abortion.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a progressive Supreme Court justice and a liberal icon, passed away in September 2020 at the age of 87. The statue has her distinguishing lace collar.
“With Ginsburg’s death and the reversal of Roe, there was a setback to women’s constitutional progress,” said Sikander.
The temporary work is part of her exhibition “Havah… to breathe, air, life,” which features an 18-foot sculpture called “Witness” in nearby Madison Square Park.
The two works will be on display until June.
