Who is Shahzia Sikander? Ruth Bader Ginsburg statue sparks controversy online

Pakistani-American visual artist Shahzia Sikander's new work, a gold statue made in honor of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, has sparked controversy online.On January 17, the 54-year-old personality took to her Twitter handle to share a video of her new creation, Now 2023, displayed at the courthouse of the Appellate Division building in the Flatiron District in New York.Fox News describes the statue as having &quot;curling braids and tentacle-like arms rising from a lotus flower.&quot;Shahzia Sikander@shahziasikanderThis is NOW 2023 (Bronze) being installed Jan 14th on the roof of the Appellate Division Courthouse of New York State on Madison and 25th7615This is NOW 2023 (Bronze) being installed Jan 14th on the roof of the Appellate Division Courthouse of New York State on Madison and 25th https://t.co/BqinlBlUW0Now 2023 has been created to pay tribute to Ginsberg and her fight for abortion rights. It also features the late Supreme Court Justice's famed lace collar.The golden statue stands alongside figures of popular lawmakers like Zoroaster, Confucius, and Moses.All you need to know about Shahzia Sikander View this post on Instagram Instagram PostBorn in 1969, Shahzia Sikander is a native of Lahore, Pakistan. She graduated from the National College of Arts, Pakistan, in 1991 and subsequently became a lecturer in miniature painting at the school.In 1993, Sikander moved to the United States to earn an MFA degree from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). Two years later, in 1995, she participated in the Glassell School of Art’s CORE Program at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.Although sketching still plays a significant role in Sikander's work, she has branched out into other mediums, such as video, and, since 2015, has also delved into glass mosaics.Her work of art has been exhibited nationally and internationally at places like the Morgan Library and Museum in New York; Jesus College in Cambridge, United Kingdom; the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston in Texas; the RISD Museum in Providence, Rhode Island; the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto, Canada, etc.Sikander has previously served on the New York Mayoral Advisory Commission of City Art, Monuments, and Markers. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostShe has received numerous awards for her work, including the Asia Society Award for Significant Contribution to Contemporary Art, a Medal of Art by the U.S. Department of State, a MacArthur Fellowship in 2006, and most recently, the Fukuoka Arts and Culture Prize in 2022.For her latest work, Now 2023, Sikander spoke to The New York Times about Ginsburg and why she was chosen for this tribute.“She is a fierce woman and a form of resistance in a space that has historically been dominated by patriarchal representation.”Describing the title Now, Sikander said she chose it because it was urgently required after the Supreme Court struck down the constitutional right to abortion in June 2022 and women's reproductive freedoms came under attack.Why did Shahzia Sikander's new work create controversy?As soon as the bronze Now 2023 was unveiled in New York, Twitterati was not happy with Sikander's new work. Several users bashed the new statue for being &quot;hideous,&quot; &quot;ugly,&quot; and even &quot;Satanic,&quot; given it has horns and tentacles.Others just asked it be &quot;destroyed&quot; rather than &quot;removed&quot; from the location it has been placed in.Stephen Miller@StephenM@AndrewBeckUSA What a visual desecration of the landscape.4360131@AndrewBeckUSA What a visual desecration of the landscape.Magills@magills_@AndrewBeckUSA2904123@AndrewBeckUSA https://t.co/awQI849KvoAva Petrucci@mmeJen@AndrewBeckUSA It looks like something you'd see at a satanic ritual.102319@AndrewBeckUSA It looks like something you'd see at a satanic ritual.✺ sofia ✺@esofiaoaks@AndrewBeckUSA Why does she have tentacles? 4823@AndrewBeckUSA Why does she have tentacles? 😭John Hawkins@johnhawkinsrwn@AndrewBeckUSA I wasn't a fan of Ruth Bader Ginsberg, but even she deserves better than that ugly, satanic-looking eyesore.75819@AndrewBeckUSA I wasn't a fan of Ruth Bader Ginsberg, but even she deserves better than that ugly, satanic-looking eyesore.Mary Margaret Olohan@MaryMargOlohanBizarre resemblance to Satanic imagery twitter.com/andrewbeckusa/…Andrew Beck@AndrewBeckUSAA new statue atop a New York City courthouse. The artist says it’s part of an “urgent and necessary cultural reckoning underway as New York reconsiders traditional representations of power in public spaces and recasts civic structures to better reflect 21st-century social mores.”11021A new statue atop a New York City courthouse. The artist says it’s part of an “urgent and necessary cultural reckoning underway as New York reconsiders traditional representations of power in public spaces and recasts civic structures to better reflect 21st-century social mores.” https://t.co/4IFRj7hCsfBizarre resemblance to Satanic imagery twitter.com/andrewbeckusa/…Michael Knowles@michaeljknowlesThe next Republican mayor of New York should not only remove but publicly destroy this monstrosity. twitter.com/AndrewBeckUSA/…Andrew Beck@AndrewBeckUSAA new statue atop a New York City courthouse. The artist says it’s part of an “urgent and necessary cultural reckoning underway as New York reconsiders traditional representations of power in public spaces and recasts civic structures to better reflect 21st-century social mores.”1979214A new statue atop a New York City courthouse. The artist says it’s part of an “urgent and necessary cultural reckoning underway as New York reconsiders traditional representations of power in public spaces and recasts civic structures to better reflect 21st-century social mores.” https://t.co/4IFRj7hCsfThe next Republican mayor of New York should not only remove but publicly destroy this monstrosity. twitter.com/AndrewBeckUSA/…Amanda Ensing@AmandaEnsingNYC Courthouse has put up a gold horned “goddess” statue to symbolize resistance &amp; abortion rights. It literally looks like a demon. America loves celebrating death. twitter.com/AndrewBeckUSA/…Andrew Beck@AndrewBeckUSAA new statue atop a New York City courthouse. The artist says it’s part of an “urgent and necessary cultural reckoning underway as New York reconsiders traditional representations of power in public spaces and recasts civic structures to better reflect 21st-century social mores.”427A new statue atop a New York City courthouse. The artist says it’s part of an “urgent and necessary cultural reckoning underway as New York reconsiders traditional representations of power in public spaces and recasts civic structures to better reflect 21st-century social mores.” https://t.co/4IFRj7hCsfNYC Courthouse has put up a gold horned “goddess” statue to symbolize resistance &amp; abortion rights. It literally looks like a demon. America loves celebrating death. twitter.com/AndrewBeckUSA/…Canon Theologian of the Bible Belt ⚓️@NoJesuitTricksNew York has put an androgynous baphomet with tentacles digging into its own torso on top of the courthouse in order to “better reflect 21st century social mores.” Sounds about right. twitter.com/AndrewBeckUSA/…Andrew Beck@AndrewBeckUSAA new statue atop a New York City courthouse. The artist says it’s part of an “urgent and necessary cultural reckoning underway as New York reconsiders traditional representations of power in public spaces and recasts civic structures to better reflect 21st-century social mores.”17436A new statue atop a New York City courthouse. The artist says it’s part of an “urgent and necessary cultural reckoning underway as New York reconsiders traditional representations of power in public spaces and recasts civic structures to better reflect 21st-century social mores.” https://t.co/4IFRj7hCsfNew York has put an androgynous baphomet with tentacles digging into its own torso on top of the courthouse in order to “better reflect 21st century social mores.” Sounds about right. twitter.com/AndrewBeckUSA/…Chris Manning@Manning4USCong@AndrewBeckUSA One of the ugliest things I've ever seen. I wouldn't brag about being associated with it.3679@AndrewBeckUSA One of the ugliest things I've ever seen. I wouldn't brag about being associated with it.Miranda ✨@mir_and_a@AndrewBeckUSA Paying homage to a Jewish woman by portraying her with horns, a centuries-old anti-Semitic trope… and it doesn’t even match the others and is hideous. Yikes1014@AndrewBeckUSA Paying homage to a Jewish woman by portraying her with horns, a centuries-old anti-Semitic trope… and it doesn’t even match the others and is hideous. YikesAs of writing, Shahzia Sikander has not responded to the controversy related to her new work.

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