Meet the Artist—The Genesis Facade Commission: Jeffrey Gibson, The Animal That Therefore I Am

Step into the artistic journey of Jeffrey Gibson’s creation of four large-scale figurative sculptures for The Met’s 2025 Genesis Facade Commission. Drawing on Indigenous worldviews and the rich history of bronze sculpture, Gibson explores the interconnectedness of all living beings and the environment in this powerful installation on The Met Fifth Avenue’s iconic facade. An interdisciplinary artist who grew up in the United States, Germany, and Korea, Gibson is a member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and is of Cherokee descent. His expansive body of work ranges from hard-edged abstract paintings to performance and filmmaking and also includes significant contributions as a convener and curator. Gibson’s practice consistently reveals new possibilities. Drawing on a broad range of recurring sources, materials, and imagery, he often critiques the reductive ways Indigenous culture has been historically flattened and misappropriated. Gibson’s project for The Met’s Fifth Avenue facade is the sixth in a series of commissions for the historic exterior. Learn more about the exhibition: Production Credits: Director, Managing Producer: Kate Farrell Senior Producer: Melissa Bell Video Editor: Lucas Groth Associate Producer: Lela Jenkins Production Assistant: Hayley Theisen Director of Photography: Jeffrey Johnson 2nd Camera: Lucas Groth Audio Recording: Matthew Modula, Evan Manners Jib Camera: Mike Kirsic, Anthony Carabe Music Composition: Austin Fisher Photo Studio Time Lapse: Wilson Santiago, Heather Johnson Exhibition Project Manager: Zoe Tippl Web Coordinator: Ashliy Sabb Curator: Jane Panetta Special Thanks: Jeffrey Gibson Studio: Brian Barlow, Studio Manager, Jenny Ghetti, Production Manager, Alex Malmude, Amanda Lees, Andy Overton, Anna Svoboda-Stel, Beth Harring, Chrissy Rivera, Christine Pfister, Danielle Norris, George Liu, Immanuel J. Williams, Jamaica Gilmore, Leah Morris, Louise Smith, Miranda Nichols, Paige Simpson, Timothy Wehrle. UAP | Urban Art Projects, Newburgh, New York. Subscribe for new content from The Met: #TheMet #Art #TheMetropolitanMuseumofArt #Museum © 2025 The Metropolitan Museum of Art