Phaidon’s Artspace is proud to announce Little Boat , a new sculptural edition by groundbreaking conceptual artist Rashid Johnson. Little Boa t comprises a series of 40 cast bronzes, hand-carved, embedded with shells, patinated in black ink and signed by the artist.

The edition is inspired by Johnson’s current Hauser & Wirth, Menorca, show where, alongside his Seascape paintings, he is exhibiting boats that function as fire pits. The Little Boat bronze editions share a similar characteristic in that there is a fire component – they function as incense burners. Carved references to Johnson’s well-known Anxious Men series also link the edition to the broader scope of his practice. Little Boat reflects Johnson’s interest in the utility of art, which can be traced back to his earliest work: the iconic wall-mounted shelf sculptures that held objects such as incense, shea butter, and vinyl records, embodying layered significance as talismans , gestures, and practical tools simultaneously.

Of the new edition Johnson says: “I want people to bring them to life. I want to see them used and to see them activated. So often art keeps us at bay. And this an attempt to give you some agency.”

Little Boat is presented in partnership with the 2022 TWO x TWO for AIDS Art Gala and Auction, for which Rashid Johnson has been named this year’s artist honoree. Proceeds from the sale of this limited edition will benefit the Dallas Museum of Art and amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research.

“TWO by TWO’s ability to facilitate the access to these acquisitions, as well as making the museum more accessible to communities who have struggled to get access to cultural institutions in the past, matters to me,” says Johnson. “I’m a huge believer in how cultural institutions can inform us. My love for art was born from school trips I took as a young student.”