First Lady Melania Trump is making history at the White House with her adding a sculpture by famed Japanese-American artist Isamu Noguchi to the Rose Garden — the first piece of art created by an Asian American to be added to the residence.
On Saturday, Melania Trump announced the addition of Noguchi’s “Floor Frame” sculpture to the White House Rose Garden. The sculpture, with its minimalist geometric quality, is of bronze casts and mimics the roots of a plant or tree that juts out and appears to enter the ground.
Mrs. Trump’s choice of the Noguchi sculpture is particularly significant because it is the first art piece by an Asian American to be featured in the White House collection. The White Hosue Historical Association bought “Floor Frame” in March at a Sotheby’s auction for $125,000.
“Pleased to announce the arrival of Floor Frame, an art sculpture by Isamu Noguchi,” Mrs. Trump wrote in a statement. “Noguchi is the first Asian American artist to be represented in the White House collection.”
Noguchi, who died in 1988, has a deep history in the United States. Noguchi voluntarily entered a Japanese-American internment camp in Arizona during World War II to help “humanize the camps,” according to the New York Times.
“This sculpture not only showcases diversity within our Nation’s finest art but it also highlights the beautiful contributions of Asian American artists to the landscape of our country,” Mrs. Trump said.
Mrs. Trump, in late August, revealed the historic renovations she conducted of the Rose Garden. Her renovations focus much on the garden’s original 1962 design by Bunny Mellon.
The renovations include the addition of a limestone walkway surrounding the garden, making it compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 regulations, and adding white and pastel shades of rose bushes. Similarly, Mrs. Trump removed the crabapple trees that had issues at the roots and will relocate to a different part of the White House grounds.
Mrs. Trump has also renovated and constructed a new 1,200-square-foot White House tennis pavilion modeled with classical architecture to match the residence. The pavilion features four Doric columns and is expected to be revealed sometime soon.
John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter at @JxhnBinder.