Hugh Hayden: American Vernacular
June 28 - September 28, 2025
In Hugh Hayden’s first solo museum presentation on the West Coast, the complexities of identity, desire, and belonging are explored through meticulously crafted and darkly humorous wooden sculptures and multimedia installations. From tree bark-hewn designer shoes to basketball hoops woven from grain stalks, the artist’s works reveal how everyday objects reflect the values and tensions of our society. Centered around thematic touchstones like athletics, food, fashion, and childhood, Hayden’s art provokes us to rethink the ordinary and explore how “vernacular” items carry multifaceted stories that encompass the joy, pain, and resilience woven into the fabric of American life.
Hugh Hayden: American Vernacular is organized by the Frye Art Museum and guest curated by Sarah Montross, Museum Director and Chief Curator, deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, The Trustees. The exhibition is presented in partnership with the deCordova.
Lead individual support provided by Stuart and Lucy Williams.
Generous additional support provided by Frye Members. Media sponsorship provided by KEXP.
Hugh Hayden. Plywood, 2024. White oak, padauk, cherry, Gabon ebony, black walnut, ash, Sapele, purpleheart, stainless steel. 71 1/2 x 74 x 25 in. © Hugh Hayden. Courtesy of the artist and Lisson Gallery.
Hugh Hayden. Wheaties, 2023. Wheat, rattan, basketball rim. 30 x 20 x 24 in. © Hugh Hayden. Courtesy of the artist and Lisson Gallery.
Hugh Hayden. Hypnotism, 2017–2020. Erykah Badu’s On & On, plywood, fir, emergency lights, milk paint, fire retardant, steel hardware, electrical equipment, wiring, computer, speakers. 97 1/2 x 96 x 48 in. © Hugh Hayden. Courtesy of the artist and Lisson Gallery.
Hugh Hayden. Harlem (detail), 2024. 24 karat gold, gold plated cast iron, copper pots, brass instruments, stainless steel. 72 x 98 x 30 in. © Hugh Hayden. Courtesy of the artist and Lisson Gallery.