Simone Leigh - On View - Glenstone Museum - Washington

A selection of bronze sculptures by Simone Leigh is currently on view in Room 1 of the Pavilions at the Glenstone Museum, a leading contemporary art museum located in Potomac, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C.

Founded by Emily and Mitchell Rales, Glenstone is internationally recognized for its unique model, integrating art, architecture, and landscape across more than 300 acres. The museum’s Pavilions—designed by Thomas Phifer and Partners—offer contemplative, light-filled spaces conceived specifically for close engagement with postwar and contemporary art.

Among the works presented is Sentinel (Mami Wata) (2020–21), an abstracted female figure encircled by a serpent. Leigh describes the sculpture as her interpretation of Mami Wata, a West African water spirit embodying both destructive and generative forces. Nearby, Sharifa (2022) portrays writer and activist Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts, reflecting Leigh’s ongoing commitment to portraiture as an act of recognition and care.

Installed in the Water Court and visible from Room 1, Last Garment (2022) depicts a woman washing clothes by hand. The work references a late 19th-century postcard that promoted Jamaica as a “tropical paradise,” critically addressing colonial imagery and the exploitation of labor within narratives of the African diaspora.

Together, these sculptures engage themes of spirituality, labor, representation, and historical memory, resonating deeply with Glenstone’s mission to create meaningful, immersive encounters with art. Go to Website

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