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Artist/Maker
Nirbhai (Nep) Singh Sidhu
(Canadian, born Great Britain, born 1981)
Date2019
MediumChromed steel and cotton thread
DimensionsOverall: 27 3/4 × 27 1/2 × 12 in. (70.5 × 69.9 × 30.5 cm)
Credit LinePurchase, William G. Roehrick '34 Art Acquisition and Preservation Fund.
Object number2025.11
On view
DescriptionNep Sidhu is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice spans painting, sculpture, textile, and video. Nirankar Object in the Sound of Ek is a rumination upon some of the philosophies central to his Sikh heritage, specifically “Nirankar,” the concept of a formless God whose presence nonetheless manifests in many ways. The composition is an homage to traditional Sikh art, which is itself influenced by Islamic geometric patterning. Each of the nineteen chromed steel bars is distinct, yet their respective forms influence one another, symbolizing interconnectedness. A delicate white string at the top represents the fragile connections that bind us together despite the literal and metaphorical space that separates us from others in everyday life. While the bars can be rotated, here they align as a unified whole, suggesting the clarity and harmony one must cultivate throughout their life. The word “Ek” translates to “one” in Punjabi, underscoring the work’s message of unity, while its mirror-like surface invites viewers to see themselves as a part of this conversation—a prompt to begin pondering the barriers that separate or unite us as humans.
Collections
Additional Details
Date: c. 1292-653 B.C.E.
Medium: Granular white fabric with pigment
Object number: 1943.125
George Catlin
Date: 1845
Medium: Hand-colored lithograph on paper
Object number: 1959.127
Jamea Richmond-Edwards
Date: 2018
Medium: Pigment print with silkscreen diamond dust and gold foil
Object number: 2020.1
Thomas Nast
Date: published June 13, 1874
Medium: Wood engraving on newsprint
Object number: 2019.13.243
Date: 20th century
Medium: Glass beads, metal washers, brass US millitary button, cotton, thread
Object number: 2024.3.7
Aaron R. Turner
Date: 2020
Medium: Archival inkjet print
Object number: 2025.10.1
Jeffrey Gibson
Date: 2015
Medium: Glass and plastic beads, tin cones, steel and brass studs, nylon fringe, and artificial sinew on repurposed wool army blanket, mounted on repurposed canvas punching bag with steel chain
Object number: 2016.5
George Catlin
Date: 1845
Medium: Color lithograph on paper
Object number: 1959.125
Jeffrey Gibson
Date: 2017
Medium: Glazed ceramic and repurposed ceramic figurines
Object number: 2018.5
Edwin W. Dickinson
Date: February - March 1940
Medium: Oil on canvas
Object number: 2016.8.1
Rob Fischer
Date: 2006
Medium: Reclaimed wood, with traces of paint, and steel
Object number: 2012.3.5