Throughout his lifetime, Isamu Noguchi dedicated himself to creating subtle, yet bold, sculptural works in advance of a new modern tradition. In 1929 he returned to New York after living in Paris and turned to making portraits in order to support himself. The artist recounted in his 1968 autobiography that around this time “there was nothing to do but make heads. It was a matter of eating, and this was the only way I knew of making money.” Through this process, Noguchi encountered many individuals who became lifelong friends, including the renowned choreographer Martha Graham (American, 1894–1991) and architect Buckminster Fuller.

Label from Picasso: The Artist and His Models, November 5, 2016–February 19, 2017