Clyde Connell (1901-1998) Lady in a Box Number 1 & Number 2, 1994. Mixed media on wood. 65 x 11 inches each.

Born in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Exposed to fine art painting at a very early age, Clyde Connell knew she wanted to be an artist even before she could say the word "painting." A privileged life as the daughter of a plantation owner in the South also exposed her to the social injustices against the African-American servants. As a result, Connell participated in the fight for civil rights throughout her life.

Connell's Lady in a Box Number 1 & Number 2 reflect her sculptural combination of mixed media and woodcarving. In 1949, she began carving wood found on the penal farm where her husband worked. She created woodcut portraits of the inmates, who were given their portraits at the conclusion of their sittings.

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