White Rit

Date

2013

Creator

Vanessa German makes "power dolls" to ease the grief of mothers whose children have been murdered. Other sculptures are created to protect children living in her Pittsburgh neighborhood, many of whom congregate after school in the Art House German created in an abandoned house across the street from her home. It is a safe place filled with food, joy, and art making.   Her sculptures are contemporary versions of power figures created by traditional African societies to provide protection from an array of misfortunes. They are assembled from objects German finds on the street, as well as from items donated by friends who support her efforts to protect children from violence. from African-American Voices (exhibition, 2016)