The sculpture draws inspiration from the Statue of Liberty while incorporating elements of Chicago’s blues heritage.
Los Angeles artist Alison Saar has unveiled a major new sculpture at the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago.
The work, titled “Torch Song”, is a towering cast bronze figure now on view in the Women’s Garden on the center’s outdoor grounds. It is one of 30 site-specific commissions created for the nearly 20-acre campus, which opened this week.
According to the Obama Presidential Center, the sculpture draws inspiration from the Statue of Liberty while incorporating elements of Chicago’s blues heritage. The figure holds a gilded flame aloft as she sings, symbolizing resistance and truth.
Saar, known for her multimedia sculptures, installations and printmaking that explore Black life, history, literature and mythology, was selected among prominent artists for the project.
The piece is on public display as part of the center’s extensive outdoor art program.
