November 23, 2020
WASHINGTON, D.C., White House—First Lady Melania Trump made history at the White House on Saturday, November 21, by adding a sculpture by famed Japanese-American artist Isamu Noguchi to the Rose Garden—the first piece of art created by an Asian-American to be added to the residence.
The bronze sculpture, called “Floor Frame” mimics the roots of a plant or tree that slightly appears to enter the ground. The minimalist quality of the sculpture is indicative of Japanese minimalist taste in art.
“Floor Frame” was purchased by the White House Historical Association at Sotheby’s auction for $125,000.
“Please to announce the arrival of Floor Frame, an art sculpture by Isamu Noguchi,” Mrs. Trump wrote in a statement. “Noguchi is the first Asian American artist to be represented in the White House collection.”
Noguchi-san died in 1988 and has a deep history in the United States. He voluntarily entered a Japanese-American internment camp in Arizona during World War II in an effort to help “humanize the camps,” according to the New York Times.
“This sculpture not only showcases diversity within our Nation’s finest art but it also highlights the beautiful contributions of Asian American artists to the landscape of our country,” Mrs. Trump continued to state.
Noguchi joins other notable Asian-American artists, designers, and architects who contributed to the United States. The famous Japanese-American architect, Minoru Yamasaki, who designed the original World Trade Center, and the Federal Reserve Bank in Richmond are but one of many examples.
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