Olen Bryant (American/Tennessee, 1927-2017) large textured ceramic bust with solid base. Incised and sculpted facial features, including closed eyes, hair, and necklace. Brown, black, and white coloring. Signed "O'BRYANT" on base. Includes original label on base, reading "Head of Lady Terra Cotta Clay". 18 1/2" H x 13" W x 8 1/2" D. Biography: Born in Cookeville, TN, Bryant was a 1950 graduate of Murray State University and a 1954 graduate of the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield, Michigan with a Master's Degree in Fine Arts. He additionally studied at the Cleveland Institute of Art, the Institute in the Visual Arts in American Culture at the University of Delaware and the Winterthur Museum in 1967. Bryant was a professor at Austin Peay State University from 1964 to 1991. Bryant's artwork is widely collected around the United States and is a part of several museum collections, including the Hunter Museum of American Art in Chattanooga, the Tennessee State Museum of Art and the Cheekwood Museum of Art in Nashville, and his works have been displayed at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center and the Governor's Mansion during the Phil Bredesen administration. He was a founding member of the Nashville Artist Guild and the Tennessee Association of Craft Artists (source: Nashville Fine Arts Magazine & The Leaf Chronicle).

Estate of Olen Bryant, Cottonwood/Clarksville, TN. A letter of authenticity and provenance from the artist's niece, who served as his studio assistant and personal representative for his estate, is available for this lot.

Original minor firing crack on base. Excellent condition.