Richard Hunt (1935–2023) was an American artist whose extraordinary talent in metalwork marks him as one of the most influential U.S. sculptors and figures in public art. Often utilizing salvaged materials like scrap metal and car parts, Hunt’s artworks are an amalgamation of personal experiences and art historical references, blending his cultural background, global travels, and the impact of the Civil Rights Movement with the principles of European modernism, Greek myths, and imagery from the natural world. Through constant experimentation with scale, materials, composition, and themes, Hunt developed a significant body of work that continues to influence American sculpture today.

Hunt was the first African American sculptor to have a retrospective at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in 1971. Since the start of his career, the artist has been the subject of more than 190 solo exhibitions, and his work is in more than 130 museum collections world-wide. Public art was central to his practice; with more than 160 commissions gracing prominent locations in 24 states and Washington, D.C, Hunt is the most prolific sculptor in the United States. In recent years, the international art world has rediscovered Hunt’s pioneering welding techniques and unique visual language, recognizing his vital role in the development of contemporary sculpture and within U.S. art history.

His final commission was for the Obama Presidential Center (OPC), where he created the public outdoor sculpture, Book Bird, which is permanently installed in the Library Reading Garden outside the Chicago Public Library branch on OPC’s campus.