Marble Head

SHANTELL MARTIN (B. 1980)
Marble Head
ink on marble 
5 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 1 1/2 inches (13.97 x 11.43 x 3.81 cm)
Executed in 2013.
Wooden block affixed to reverse with suspension hole.

PROVENANCE:
Shantell Martin Studio, Los Angeles

NOTES:
Marble Head (2013), Shantell Martin distills her expressive visual language into a minimalist face inscribed on a broken shard of marble. With just a few assertive lines, Martin conjures a contemplative presence—eyes askance, mouth pursed, and a single arch of brow suggesting emotion beyond expression. The raw, irregular edge of the stone contrasts the clarity of the ink, highlighting the tension between form and fragility. This work exemplifies Martin’s ongoing dialogue between impermanence and identity, where even the most durable materials become vessels for introspection and human nuance.