American Post-Minimalist Sculptor Joel Shapiro Dies at 83

Joel Shapiro, a renowned American Post-Minimalist sculptor known for his dynamic wooden and bronze figures that convey human motion and emotional tension, died at 83 from acute myeloid leukemia. Born in New York in 1941, Shapiro initially studied medicine before shifting to art after a transformative Peace Corps experience in India. His career began with fingerprint drawings and miniature cast-iron houses that challenged Minimalism's detachment by emphasizing the artist’s hand and fragility. Shapiro gained acclaim for his kinetic sculptures of human-like figures made from wooden beams, often appearing mid-motion, balancing grace and precariousness, with major public commissions including the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's Loss and Regeneration. He exhibited widely across prestigious galleries and museums worldwide and was represented for much of his career by Paula Cooper Gallery before moving to Pace Gallery. Throughout his work, Shapiro combined abstraction with profound emotional resonance, redefining sculpture’s scale and psychological depth while maintaining a wry, sharp wit about the art world.