Born in the late 40’s in Akron, Ohio, Woodrow Nash is the product of sanctified churches, 1950’s television images, and black inner city neighborhood schools run by predominantly white middle-class educators. The young student immersed himself in art during an era when artists sought nothing less than old-fashioned honesty in their imagery.
As a freelance artist, he painted murals for local institutions, and worked as an illustrator. In 1975, he abandoned Akron for the brighter lights of New York, where he became a fashion illustrator. There he also designed and illustrated record albums for jazz labels that represented such greats as Father Hines, Cat Anderson, Arnett Cobbs and Jeff Lorber fusion.
Nash’s sculptures transmit human delicacies and inner harmony. Examining the contemporary male and female physique, he explores the body’s natural form and mythology. Incorporating various styles and techniques utilizing stoneware, earthenware, terracotta or porcelain, Nash’s work is fired electronically, pit fired or via a “raku” effect – creating an “African Nuveau” trademark that’s solely his own.
While the images are African, in general, the concept is 15th century Benin with the graceful, slender proportions and long, undulating lines of 18th century Art Nouveau. In his pieces, Nash achieves his goal of integrating expression, complex symbolism and sophisticated aesthetics to yeild striking embodiments of the human soul and sensuality.