Edmonia Lewis: Sculpting Against the Gaze

In this episode of Art Talk, part 4 of The Gaze Reclaimed, we explore the extraordinary life and legacy of Edmonia Lewis — the first African-Native American sculptor to gain international recognition in the 19th century.

Born in a fractured America, orphaned young, and wrongfully accused of poisoning classmates at Oberlin, Lewis defied every expectation. She carved her path — literally — from Boston to Rome, to London, where she passed away after being gravely ill. She was creating neoclassical sculptures that challenged the white Western gaze. Her work reclaimed space for Black and Indigenous narratives long erased from the canon.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• How The Death of Cleopatra disrupted 19th-century audiences and redefined visual power


• Why Lewis chose to sculpt her own works by hand—defying norms and prejudice


• A deeper look at Forever Free, her emancipation-era masterpiece, and the subtle symbolism of resistance


• Reflections on the erasure of women and Black artists from art history—and why that tide is finally turning

This is not just art history—it’s cultural memory in marble.

If you’re an artist, curator, educator, or simply someone who believes in reclaiming forgotten voices, this episode is for you. 

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