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Huma Bhabha

Ghost
Now On View

Maker

Huma Bhabha (American and Pakistani, b. Pakistan, b. 1962), (RISD BFA 1985, Printmaking)

Title

Ghost

Year

2008

Medium

  • wood,
  • Styrofoam,
  • metal,
  • acrylic,
  • wire

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

  • wood,
  • Styrofoam,
  • metal,
  • acrylic,
  • wire

Dimensions

210.8 x 38.1 x 72.4 cm (83 x 15 x 28 1/2 inches)

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Helen M. Danforth Acquisition Fund

Object Number

2019.55

Type

  • Sculpture

Exhibition History

Raid the Icebox Now with Simone Leigh
The Chorus
Oct 18, 2019 – Dec 12, 2020

Label copy

This abstracted construction of the ghost described in the title bears a formal resemblance to the Roman statuary surrounding it. Bhabha’s manipulation of found and raw materials reflects her belief that “when you make something with the hand, people respond with the heart.” Her emphasis on the manual labor of making art evokes related meditations by Nancy Elizabeth Prophet, heard in Simone Leigh’s sound installation. Bhabha’s gesture of giving material form to a spirit-entity and the abject appearance of that figure also resonates with the recorded texts of Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts and Saidiya Hartman.

Ancient Greek and Roman Galleries
Sep 22, 2010

Label copy

The title of this work tells us it represents a ghost, bringing into conversation the enduring human fascination with an afterlife or a world beyond this one. It was initially placed in this gallery by Simone Leigh as part of her exhibition Raid the Icebox Now: The Chorus (October 18, 2019-December 12, 2020).

Ghost bears a striking resemblance to the Roman statuary surrounding it. Bhabha’s choice of a classically formal pose for her figure contrasts with its rough-hewn construction from raw materials. One interpretation could suggest the violence often exacted on the human body by and within so-called civilized societies and cultures.

Image use

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In copyright This object is in copyright

Tombstone

Huma Bhabha (American and Pakistani, b. Pakistan, b. 1962)
Ghost, 2008
Wood, Styrofoam, metal, acrylic, wire
210.8 x 38.1 x 72.4 cm (83 x 15 x 28 1/2 inches)
Helen M. Danforth Acquisition Fund 2019.55

To request new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.

Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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