Sanford Biggers, a 54-year-old Los Angeles-born artist known for his "conceptual patchworking" across quilts, sculpture, and Afrofuturist themes, will be honored by the Parrish Museum at its annual Midsummer Gala in July, ahead of a solo exhibition opening next summer. In an interview with CULTURED's Hamptons Editor Jacoba Urist, Biggers discusses his connection to Sag Harbor, the museum's architecture, and his use of antique quilts inspired by Underground Railroad histories.
The recognition matters because it highlights the Parrish Museum's commitment to artists with deep ties to the East End of Long Island, while Biggers's practice bridges historical narratives and contemporary art, addressing themes of race, memory, and material transformation. His work with quilts—repurposed as canvases for spray paint, tar, and glitter—raises questions about preservation and desecration, resonating with broader cultural conversations about sampling and intention in art.