For more than half a century, preeminent American sculptor Martin Puryear (b. 1941) has captivated the public with works of beauty, elaborate craftsmanship, and sophisticated sources of inspiration—from global cultures, social history, and the natural world.

Assembling some 45 works from across his career, “Martin Puryear: Nexus” is the first substantial survey of the artist in almost 20 years. The exhibition focuses on the artist’s use of a rich variety of materials and media—from sculptures in wood, leather, glass, marble, and metal to rarely shown drawings and prints. It reflects Puryear’s singular artistic practice, one that combines the distinctive techniques of production with the formal histories he has encountered through a lifetime of movement, research, and study.

Since Puryear represented the United States at the 58th Venice Biennale in 2019 and had success with recently commissioned outdoor works—at Madison Square Park and Storm King, to name a few—he has gained wide attention. With this exhibition, organized with the Cleveland Museum of Art, the MFA celebrates a towering figure of American culture and introduces his work to new audiences, inspiring imaginative leaps across time and place.