David Hammons: A Sculptor of Shadows and Symbols David Hammons, born in Springfield, Illinois on July 24, 1943, is an American artist whose work has profoundly impacted the landscape of contemporary art. His career, spanning over half a century, is characterized by a deliberate refusal to conform to traditional artistic boundaries, a deep engagement with social commentary, and a masterful manipulation of found objects and personal experience. Hammons’s journey began not in formal art schools, but through a series of encounters – initially with Charles White at the Otis Art Institute in Los A…