I sculpted this life-sized historical portrait bust of African American Frederick Douglass  from a heavy, groggy ceramic clay chosen for its highly tactile structure and substance. Fired stoneware clay with rich patina. This original sculpture is available to purchase from the artist. 

Frederick Douglass (1818-1895)

Abolitionist leader Frederick Douglass was born into slavery in Talbot County, Maryland. He became one of the most famous intellectuals of his time, advising presidents and lecturing to thousands on a range of causes, including women’s rights and Irish home rule. Among Douglass’ writings are several autobiographies eloquently describing his experiences in slavery and his life after the Civil War.

After escaping from slavery, he became a leader of the abolitionist movement, gaining note for his dazzling oratory and incisive antislavery writing. He stood as a living counter-example to slaveholders' arguments that slaves did not have the intellectual capacity to function as independent American citizens.