Sculptor Joel Shapiro, known for monumental wooden figures, dies at 83

American Post-Minimalist sculptor Joel Shapiro passed away at the age of 83. Born in 1941 in Queens, New York, he initially pursued medicine at NYU and later volunteered with the Peace Corps in India. His artistic journey commenced in 1967 with a solo show at Paula Cooper's gallery in SoHo, where he remained until 1992 before joining Pace Gallery. Shapiro was renowned for his wooden beam sculptures that evoke human figures. He completed over 30 public commissions, including pieces for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, the Kennedy Center, and Sculpture International Rotterdam. Notable institutions, such as the Whitney Museum, showcased his work, including a midcareer retrospective in 1982. In a 2024 interview, he referred to art as "a little moment of rapture."