Leonardo DrewNumber 370, 2023
Wood, plaster and paint
Apprioximation: 78.7 x 78.7 x 40.6 cm (31 x 31 x 16 in.)
Drew’s Shields series invokes the symbolism of protection and ancestral memory through the form of the shield—a recurring motif across African and diasporic visual traditions. These large, rounded or angular wall-based sculptures are constructed from oxidized and distressed materials, often encasing intricate patterns and textural accumulations within a seemingly defensive perimeter. With surfaces that appear both ceremonial and battle-worn, these works resonate with ideas of resilience, identity, and cultural inheritance, functioning as totems of both individual and collective endurance.
