# Female Slave Sphinx A Subtlety by Kara Walker is Made Out of 160,000 Pounds of Sugar By Meghan Young | Published 2014-04-29 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/a-subtlety-by-kara-walker References: [beautifuldecay](http://beautifuldecay.com/2014/04/28/kara-walkers-gigantic-sugar-coated-female-sphinx-makes-powerful-statement/) & [learn.walkerart.org](http://learn.walkerart.org/karawalker/) A Subtlety by Kara Walker, an artist currently living in New York, may be a [sculpture](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ralph-pucci-pure-exhibition) modelled after the [ancient sphinx](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pepsi-egypt), but it represents slave laborers rather than the good old days of Egypt and Greece. In place of a more abstract human head, the body of this lion is topped with a towering stereotypical black face. In particular, it pays tribute to those who have worked sugar cane fields. Made out of 160,000 pounds of bleached sugar, A Subtlety by Kara Walker is currently on display at the old [Domino](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/domino-sugar-refinery) sugar factory shed in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. A powerful work meant to address racial and sexual exploitation, Beautiful Decay writes, "This black female figure has been pressured, against nature, into succumbing to whiteness." The sphinx represents treachery and mercilessness after all. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 1.3/10 - Popularity: 17% | Activity: 15% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Art as Social Commentary:** A trend towards art that addresses important societal issues and raises awareness. - **Material Innovation:** Innovative use of materials and techniques to create eye-catching and thought-provoking works of art. - **Diversity and Inclusion:** A push towards increasing representation and inclusion in the art world, particularly for artists of color and underrepresented groups. ### Where This Applies - **Art and Culture:** A call for artists and curators working within the art industry to create works that address important societal issues and promote representation and inclusion. - **Materials Science:** Exploration of alternative materials for artistic expression and experimentation with techniques for manipulating them to produce unique works of art. - **Social Justice and Activism:** The incorporation of art into activism and social justice movements, as a tool for raising awareness and inspiring change. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Striking Sculptural Candles](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sculpture-candle.md) - [Street Art-Inspired Installations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/met-rooftop.md) - [Glamorous Artful Bronze Sculptures](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sweet-jane.md) - [Intricate Resin Hand-Painted Sculptures](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/snh003.md) - [Monolithic Sound Installations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/monolithic-sound-installation.md) - [African Identity-Inspired Exhibitions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/african-identity.md) - [Digital Archetype Sculptures](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/christian-rex-van-minnen-1.md) - [Artful Pyramid Installations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/living-pyramid.md) - [AI-Generated Statues](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ai-generated-statue.md)