Artist: Leonardo Nierman

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Sculpture: Peace

Year: 1985
Materials: Bronze
Description: 12 feet tall
Location: Lawn, street level, corner, Columbus Avenue and West 62 Street

About Leonardo Nierman

Leonardo Nierman, born in 1932 in Mexico City, melded striking colors and dynamic abstract forms to capture the rhythm and energy of the natural world. As a student of both violin and physics, Nierman developed a profound appreciation for music and the natural world that informed his practice. His paintings, often swirling with bright colors, evoke celestial phenomena, sound waves, and the essence of movement. His sculptural works, often in metal, also demonstrate his fascination with flow and form. Exhibited globally, from the Museum of Modern Art in Latin America in Washington, D.C. to the Museum of Modern Art in Rio De Janeiro, Nierman’s contributions to abstraction have solidified his reputation as a leading Mexican artist.

His work can be found in museums and public buildings around the world, including in the gallery of the Vatican, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the Museo de Arte Moderno in Mexico City, the Memorial Art Gallery in Rochester, and the Phoenix Art Museum.

Nierman received over sixty recognitions throughout his career. He became a member of the Instituto de Artes in Mexico in 1964 and a lifetime member of the Royal Society of the Arts in London in 1965. In 1993, he became a patron of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields in London, and in 1995 he received an honorary doctorate from Concordia University in Irvine, California. The city of Chicago named December 19 in his honor in 2002, and in 2003, he received the Gloria Award from the International Latino Cultural Center in Chicago. In 2010, he received the Vasco de Quiroga Medal from the Mexico City government. He died on June 7, 2023.