Saya Woolfalk: The Empathic Universe

Saya Woolfalk: The Empathic Universe is the first full-scale monograph on this internationally renowned multidisciplinary artist. Woolfalk’s immersive installations are as visually stunning as they are intellectually engaging, winning ardent admirers worldwide.

Lavishly illustrated, this volume surveys two decades of Woolfalk’s groundbreaking work including the artist’s: garment-based sculptures, installations, videos, paintings, and live performances. “The Empathics” are a fictional race of women whose story runs throughout Woolfalk’s artworks. Their name reflects the hope that future societies will develop stronger empathy for one another, and their visual culture has its own distinctive imagery, symbolism, and folklore, incorporating aspects of African, African-American, Japanese, European, and Brazilian art, craft, and storytelling.

Editor: Alexandra Schwartz
Contributions: Lowery Stokes Sims, Naomi Beckwith, Jasmine Wahl

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Hardcover, Hirmer Publishers, 2025
144 p, 8 × 10 in.