Melvin Edwards, an American sculptor, died on March 30, 2026, at age 88.
Melvin Eugene Edwards Jr. was an American abstract sculptor, printmaker, and arts educator.
Raised in segregated communities in Texas and an integrated community in Ohio, he moved to California in 1955 and began his professional art career while still an undergraduate student. Originally trained as a painter, he began exploring sculpture and welding techniques in Los Angeles in the early 1960s before moving to New York in 1967. He was best known for his Lynch Fragments sculptures, as well as later works including minimalist environments built with barbed wire and chain, Rockers sculptures, and monumental outdoor sculptures.
Melvin Eugene Edwards Jr. (May 4, 1937 – March 30, 2026) was an American abstract sculptor, printmaker, and arts educator. Edwards, an African-American artist, was raised in segregated communities in Texas and an integrated community in Ohio. He moved to California in 1955, beginning his professional art career while an undergraduate student. Originally trained as a painter, Edwards began exploring sculpture and welding techniques in Los Angeles in the early 1960s, before moving again to New York in 1967.