“His vivid transformations of biological shapes have a vigor and movement, increased by the feeling they give of the linked variety of organic growth, suggestive of American Negro Art as a whole - properly so, for pottery is an early art and a sure guide to the sensibilities of the people.”
— Cedric Dover, author of American Negro Art
A major sculptor of the 20th century, Earl J. Hooks was a graduate of Howard University. He also attended Catholic University in Washington, D.C., Rochester Institute of Technology, and the School of American Craftsman in New York.
Hooks, a sculptor, ceramicists, printmaker, and photographer, is well known for his monochromatic sculptural forms many of which were created in stone or resin. His works had a certain organic quality or fluidity of form that simulated naturally occurring shapes and movement. Hooks was a master at utilizing the properties stone and other materials to create somber sculptural works. His designs frequently are based on the artist’s fundamental interest in the human body and his shrewd ability to capture emotion. Hooks balanced light, harmony and space.
In addition to teaching at Fisk, Hooks taught at other institutions including Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina, Also served as an art consultant for the public schools of Gary, Indiana.
Earl J. HooksUntitled (Two Large Ceramic Bowls), circa 1960
