Since he burst onto the art scene in Los Angeles in the 1960s, Edwards has created sculptures all over the world, with large-scale pieces in Senegal, where he has a home, as well as Nigeria and Cuba.
In 1970, he became the first black sculptor to have a solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art, and his work is in the permanent collection of several major institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C., the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Chicago Art Institute and the Dallas Museum of Art.
He has become known for many of his works, most notably his Lynch Fragments series, which he began in 1963 and continues today. In the series, Edwards welds objects such as steel scraps, chains and tools into thought-provoking forms.
Additional Melvin Edwards coverage:
Review: Melvin Edwards "In Oklahoma"
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Sculpture Melvin Edwards channels history and social impetus in Oklahoma
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Viewers steel themselves for a gritty look at art
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Kerry James Marchall's 'Mastry' at The Met Headlines Fall Season, 50+ Exhibitions Featuring Black Artists
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What to do in Oklahoman on Nov. 3, 2016: Take in music, dance and art at Oklahoma Contemporary's 'Freedom Visible'
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