By Emily Ham
The Story: Witness at the University of Houston
About the Work
Standing at eighteen feet tall, Witness (2024) by Shahzia Sikander is a bronze sculpture of a female figure with hornlike braids, arms reminiscent of tree-roots, a lace collar, and a steel skirt adorned with mosaic calligraphy. It is a distinctive anthropomorphic depiction of Justice—both traditional and unconventional. Sikander draws from many influences and visual languages, resulting in a sculpture that seems to resist being categorized into a certain religion or culture. Anna Mayer, an associate professor of sculpture at the University of Houston, said that this work of a “powerful, feminine, non-white European figure” resonated on a campus with a highly diverse student body.[1]
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