The William Benton
Museum of Art

Of her emotional connection to cedar wood, von Rydingsvard explains, “I cannot say I love wood because it’s much more complex. What I can say is… cedar has been the material that seemingly comes closest to saying what I need to say in a visual form.”  

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The artist’s abstract sculptures are informed by childhood memories of life in German refugee camps and her family’s agrarian heritage in pre-industrial Poland. Her work consists of repetitive forms resembling containers, stirring implements, tools, and walls. Von Rydingsvard’s sculpture ranges in scale from more intimate works like this one to monumental works of public art. She made this sculpture during a residency at UConn’s now-defunct Yankee Foundry, which allowed her to experiment with bronze.