Joel Shapiro

By challenging the boundaries between abstraction and representation, Joel Shapiro reexamines the traditions of modern figurative art. His abstract geometric sculptures provoke a sense of motion and encourage viewers to interact physically and psychologically with space.

In his recent explorations of form and color in spatial contexts, Shapiro suspends painted wooden elements from ceilings, walls, and floors, exploring the freedom to project thought into space independent of architectural constraints.

Biography of Joel Shapiro

Joel Shapiro was born in 1941 in New York. In 1964, he received a BA from New York University in New York. Later, he obtained an MA from the same institution. 

During the early phase of his career, he cited an interest in the methodologies of artists such as Robert Morris, Richard Serra, Carl Andre, and Donald Judd.

In the 1980s, Shapiro ventured into larger, life-size forms that retained echoes of Indian and Greek sculpture while drawing inspiration from early modernist artists like Edgar Degas and Constantin Brâncusi. Many of these pieces were commissioned or acquired by museums and galleries.

Later, Shapiro broadened his scope by creating works that captured the dynamism of the human figure. For example, his subjects were depicted in various actions such as dancing, crouching, and falling.

Over his career, he has executed more than thirty commissions and publicly-sited sculptures in major cities across Asia, Europe, and North America. Shapiro has been the subject of over 160 solo exhibitions and retrospectives internationally.

His recent solo exhibitions include "Joel Shapiro" at Meridiano in Puerto Escondido (2024), "Joel Shapiro" at Pace Gallery in Hong Kong (2023), "Joel Shapiro - Recent Drawings +" at Carling Dalenson in Stockholm (2022), "Joel Shapiro" at Cayón Menorca in Menorca (2022), and many more.

Additionally, Shapiro's works have been featured in numerous group shows held at various venues worldwide, including Gladstone Gallery in New York, Mignoni in New York, Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach, Paula Cooper Gallery in New York, National Gallery of Australia in Canberra, National Gallery in London, among others.