Recently, an 18-foot-tall horned statue at the University of Houston was beheaded during the chaos caused by Hurricane Beryl earlier this week. Many Christian and pro-life organizations have criticized the monument as “satanic.” According to reports, the college has claimed the statue was vandalized by an individual who acted during the intense weather and power outages.
The sculpture is named “Witness” and is part of a broader three-part series called Havah… to breathe, air, life. from the artist Shahzia Sikander. It depicts a naked woman with braids formed into the shape of goat horns and strange, tentacle-like arms. Furthermore, the piece of “art” appears to pay respects to the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a staunch supporter of abortion.
Kevin Quinn, executive director of media relations for the university, gave a statement where he illustrated that the vandalism is believed to be intentional where the university’s campus police department is investigating the matter. “We were disappointed to learn the statue was damaged early Monday morning as Hurricane Beryl was hitting Houston. The damage is believed to be intentional. The University of Houston Police Department is currently investigating the matter,” he said.
Reportedly, the statue has been under “increased surveillance” amid protests from pro-life groups who spoke out against the installation of the pro-abortion artwork. The University of Houston also had to cancel a talk by Sikander and the opening celebration for the statue amid the backlash. “It was a very violent act of hate, and it should be investigated as a crime,” according to Sikander said who gave and interview with the Times.
Sikander released a statement about her work: “The recent focus on reproductive rights in the United States after the Supreme Court overturned the landmark 1973 decision of Roe v. Wade, which guaranteed the constitutional right to abortion, comes to the forefront. In the process, is the dismissal, too, of the indefatigable spirit of women who have been collectively fighting for their right to their own bodies over generations. However, the enduring power lies with the people who step into and remain in the fight for equality. That spirit and grit is what I want to capture in both the sculptures.”
The artist continued explaining how the piece seeks to honor the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg. “In recent surveys, much of the public regards the court as partisan and political in the way it exerts power. The luminous figure is a nod to Ruth Bader Ginsburg, as seen in the detail adorning her collar. With Ginsburg’s death and the reversal of Roe, there was a setback to women’s constitutional progress,” she added.
Sikander also has a sculpture in New York City known as “Now” which was influenced by the overturning of Roe v. Wade. The Texas sculpture has faced substantial backlash from conservative activist groups such as “Texas Right to Life, who issued a statement earlier this year criticizing the installation on the University of Houston campus.
“Disobedience to God certainly should not be esteemed by society, much less lauded with a statue. On the contrary, art should reflect truth, goodness, and beauty: three timeless values that reveal the nature of God. Art cannot have beauty without truth. Art cannot have truth without goodness,” the organization said. “A statue honoring child sacrifice has no place in Texas.”
See a recent protest below:
