The magically talented hands of three-time heavyweight Muhammad Ali continue to help charities through his giving legacy.
In 1998, Ali asked artist Elliott Arkin to produce a set of life casts of his iconic and legendary hands.
The resulting plaster originals are the only complete three-dimensional replica and historical documents of Ali’s monumental hands in existence.
Arkin was familiar to the champ from his earlier designs for Ali’s non-profit initiative, World HeALIng Project promoting peace and understanding.
In 2020, Arkin was asked to revisit the life casts. To rework and transform them into a limited-edition sculpture for fundraising purposes.
Muhammad Ali’s iconic life
As a contemporary work of art reflecting on our time while honoring Muhammad Ali’s iconic life as an athlete known as the Greatest Of All Time.
Ali was an activist who championed human rights around the world. Arkin has created a bronze and marble sculpture appropriately titled Strength & Resistance.
According to the project’s website: “The work’s subtle yet powerful design of intertwined, graceful forms fully presents Ali’s unique combination of beauty, strength, cleverness, and character.”
The project’s website includes an essay titled “The Greatest” by Robert Storr.
Stor was a former senior curator in the Department of Painting and Sculpture at the Museum of Modern Art, NY, and an Officier at the French Ministry of Culture.
Storr writes, “From the Renaissance on down, sculptors were called upon to make “life casts” of notable and exceptional well-proportioned people.
“Much as Elliott Arkin was asked to make molds directly from the hands of the greatest boxer of modern times.
“Their purpose was to gather the best parts of the most beautiful men and women of their age. From those parts fashion an ideal composite.
“Those are my memories and my reasons for revering to Muhammad Ali.
Legendary fists
“Others will have their own. These fists are not a shrine or an altar to his prophetic life – such idolatry had no place in his religious observances.
“But they will concentrate anyone who looks at them on the firmly grounded. In all other respects unfettered and excellent human being of which they are emblematic.”
The fundraiser, a limited edition of only 20 bronze sculptures, is being sold with 100% of the net proceeds donated to UNICEF and the Muhammad Ali Center.
Each set of hands/sculpture is from the earlier 1998 bronze castings produced from the one-of-a-kind plaster original. It includes the signatures of both Elliott Arkin and Muhammad Ali, plus the unique edition number #/20.
For information, visit www.StrengthandResistance.com.
