Metal, Fire and Mother Earth: Melvin Edward Making Connections beyond the Americas

Melvin Edwards (b.1937) regarded as a pioneer in the history of contemporary African-American art and sculpture has had a lustrous career. He works in iron- a medium with a strong religious significance in African art and civilization. His works express the duality of African history and culture with the complexities of his African American experience. Edwards and his wife, Jayne Cortez, a poet, made trips to Africa in the 1970s. These numerous visits brought him in contact with members of the Edo royal family, the head of the guild of bronze casters in Benin City and several Nigerian artists. His participation in the 2^nd Black Arts Festival of Art and Culture (FESTAC 1977) brought about long-term relationships with Nigeria. These encounter with Nigerian art and culture form part of the artist’s trajectory. Edwards has had several exhibitions in the USA, yet the African influence on his art is not sufficiently documented. This paper intends to illuminate this part of his travels and career as an artist and how these myriad experiences impacted his life and art.