Dr. Flossie Wong Staal
2016
New York City — Est. 1983
Jordan Baker-Caldwell
Exploring history, balance, and transformation through large-scale sculpture, installation, and mixed media, from New York and beyond.
Ascension
Corten Steel · 2016
36th St & 9th Ave, Manhattan
Permanent Public Sculpture
The Work
Three Active
Series
Steel, bronze, stone — forms compressed to their most essential gesture. Three concurrent bodies of work, each with its own material language and collector relationship.
View All 57 Works
Artist Statement
2026
"My practice explores the gap between what the eye sees and what the mind is willing to accept."
Baker-Caldwell's sculptures are described as figurative, organic forms juxtaposed with modern, neo-cubic abstraction, constructed from steel, bronze, and reclaimed industrial materials to explore growth, connection, and the human condition. Born in New York and raised in Harlem and on the Upper West Side, his practice spans sculpture, painting, and digital media, challenging conventional boundaries and offering new ways to reflect on memory, identity, and societal structures.
Full Biography
2016 — Historic
Ascension
Manhattan
Permanent Public Sculpture
Manhattan
9 ft
Ascension, 2016
15 ft
Golem — Harlem Hospital
20+
Years of practice
Historic Achievement
The Youngest Artist in
New York City History
to Install a Permanent
Public Sculpture
On August 9th, 2016, Jordan Baker-Caldwell made history with the installation of Ascension — a 9-foot steel sculpture at the corner of 36th Street and 9th Avenue, Manhattan — becoming the youngest artist ever to have a permanent public sculpture in New York City.
Collections
Works Held
By
The Harlem's Fashion Row Icon Award — designed and fabricated by Baker-Caldwell — is held in the private collections of cultural leaders across music, film, fashion, and sport.
LeBron James
Spike Lee
A$AP Rocky
Janet Jackson
Kelly Rowland
Issa Rae
Dapper Dan
Usher
Tracee Ellis Ross
Teyana Taylor
Swizz Beatz
+ Many More
Exhibitions
Selected Shows
& Institutions
2016
GOLEM — Permanent Loan Installation
Harlem Hospital, Mural Pavilion
2025
36 Chambers — Permanent Public Sculpture
The Bench
2016
ASCENSION — Permanent Public Sculpture
36th Street & 9th Avenue
2019
SURELO: FEMALE INVENTORS
Bella Abzug Park, 34th Street & 10th Avenue
2016
FLUX ART FAIR
Marcus Garvey Park
2023
THE COSMO FOUNDATION — Château Saint Maur
Château Saint Maur, The Cosmo Foundation
Available for Commission
Commission an Original Work
Baker-Caldwell accepts a limited number of commissions each year for private collectors, corporations, institutions, and public art projects. Each commission is a unique collaboration — from intimate interior pieces to large-scale public installations.
Begin a ConversationPress & Media
In the News
The New York Times
Where Neon Was the New Black
The New York Times covers the Museum of Arts and Design's Rare Earths Fluorescent Ball gala, featuring Jordan Baker-Caldwell among the attendees at the Columbus Circle institution.
WABC-7
Jordan on ABC’s Here and Now
Jordan Baker-Caldwell was interviewed by Sandra Bookman on WABC-7's Here and Now, discussing his work as a metal sculptor and his upcoming permanent installation Ascension in Midtown Manhattan.
The Source
Sculptor Makes History as First Black Artist to Have Permanent Sculpture in Midtown Manhattan
Jordan Baker-Caldwell makes history as the first African-American artist to have a permanent metal sculpture in Midtown Manhattan, with the installation of the nine-foot Ascension on the corner…