Huma Bhabha

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.

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.