THREE WOMEN FRIENDS Sculpture by Nnamdi Okonkwo, Harlem, New York City

“Three Friends” is a sculpture by the Nigerian born Nnamdi Okonkwo that currently resides at the front of Fifth Avenue on the Park, a condominium building in Harlem.
Nigerian sculptor Nnamdi Okonkwo created this monumental sculpture that stands outside of Fifth Avenue on the Park, a condominium building in Harlem area of New York City.

The condominium overlooks Marcus Garvey Park and is located at 120th Street and Fifth Avenue. This bronze sculpture was installed in July of 2010 and truly beautifies the front of the building and the entire area.

The following words from the sculptor:

I believe that life is not ordinary, but that there is a heroic, monumental, and divine capacity to the human spirit. Sculpture is an avenue for me to express this beauty and nobility that is inherent in humanity. In short, I seek for the sublime in the emotions and feelings, which my figures evoke. I have chosen the female form to portray this magnificence of the soul, because in my indigenous culture, womanhood is venerated, and “mother is supreme.”

I believe that the noble virtues such as serenity, love, hope, humility, charity, and inner strength, which enable us to face and transcend the adversities of life, are best exemplified in womanhood. The voluminous shapes are aesthetically pleasing and intoxicating to me, but they also serve to emphasize the largeness of soul of womanhood.

Born in Eastern Nigeria in 1965, Nnamdi is the first of three sons. He currently reside in Fayetteville, Georgia with his  wife and three children. After obtaining a Degree in painting in Nigeria, basketball became the avenue for Nnamdi to come to the United States because of his height.

He was recruited by BYU-Hawaii where he played from 1989-1993, and graduated with a BFA in Sculpture. After which he enrolled in the graduate program at BYU-Provo and received an MFA degree in sculpture in 1997.  His work is represented in galleries across the country, and can be seen in individual and public sculpture gardens as well.