WILLIE COLE

Willie Cole is a self-described “contemporary artist, perceptual engineer, ecological mechanic, transformer” living and working in New Jersey. Cole uses contexts of postmodern eclecticism to celebrate African art and culture, confront viewers with the painful history of slavery in America, and examine his own African American heritage. He ingeniously transforms high heels, ironing boards, bicycle parts, wooden matches, discarded appliances, and hairdryers into powerful sculptures, installations, and works on paper.

Cole gained a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from The School of Visual Arts, New York in 1976. Cole’s work has been selected to be part of the public collections of the High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA, the Birmingham Museum of Art, AL, The Bronx Museum of the Arts, New York, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, IL, the Cleveland Museum of Art, OH, the Dallas Museum of Art, TX, the Detroit Institute of Arts, MI, ​​The British Museum, London and the ​​Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven. 

Cole’s work is represented by Alexander and Bonin Gallery (NYC), Maus Contemporary Gallery (Alabama), Gavlak Gallery (Los Angeles/Florida), and Kavi Gupta Gallery (Chicago).