Recumbent Dog (Looking Left)
Artist
Nico Masemola (South African, 1987 – 2015)
Date
2011Medium
glazed earthenwareDimensions
Work : 7 1/4 x 5 1/4 x 10 3/4 in. (18.41 x 13.34 x 27.31 cm)Credit Line
Gift of David Kamansky and Gerald Wheaton in honor of Dr. Patricia DavidsonObject Number
2018.10.30
Label
Being both black and gay, Nico Masemola struggled to find his place in South African society. At age thirteen, Masemola began apprenticing with potter Hylton Nel and gradually worked his way from making simple vessels to more complex sculptures that recall the folksy quirkiness of English Staffordshire wares. Unfortunately, his promising artistic career was cut short by his death at age 28 from HIV/AIDS-related complications.