GRANITE GALLERY

Ron Crusans

Recent Work: American Nkisi Nkondi

Sep 12,13,14 2025 - 10:00am - 4:00pm

Ron Crusan

American Nkisi Nkondi
September, 2025

A nkisi nkondi is a potent spirit-invested power figure of the Kongo peoples, characterized by its accumulation of nails and other sharp objects, which are hammered in to the body of the sculpture in order to activate its powers. These figures serve as spiritual authorities, used by a nganga (spiritual specialist) to resolve disputes, confirm oaths and contracts, heal sickness, and punish wrongdoing or sorcery within a community. The term "nkisi" means "spirit" and "nkondi" means "hunter," signifying the figure's role in spiritually hunting down and punishing evildoers, while the nails themselves document and seal agreements.

Nkisi nkondi were made at least as early as the 15th century and are known to be actively used through the 19th century. I became aware of these powerful sculptures during my studies of world art and cultures, and how they closely reflect social interactions in the Kongo cultures. Many of these powerful figures were preserved by visiting Europeans, but many more were destroyed as emblems of pagan religious ceremonies that countermanded the teachings of Christianity.

Nkisi nkondi are extremely powerful and moving examples of how man made materials can influence the spiritual, societal and sculptural elements of the human experience. I adapted the technique of hammering nails, sharp objects and other cast off industrial artifacts into my sculptural figures, along with common objects used in American culture, in order to question our dysfunctional Western society.

My work looks at American culture, and how the societal norms are slowly eroding away. Such things as lack of civility, diminishing intellectual curiosity, violence and the rise of intolerance are fueled by the glorification of celebrity in a society that values opinion as fact and lies equal truth. Nails symbolize our agreement as American citizens to live in an ordered, civilized society; agreements that are being broken at increasingly alarming rates.