Cat Martinez forges ancestral memory in steel sculpture

Cat Martinez doesn’t just work with steel — she converses with it. The Houston-based sculptor approaches each bar and weld as a dialogue with her great-great-grandfather, a blacksmith whose journey through the Middle Passage came after it was supposedly ended. For the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum’s “Terms & Conditions: The Promise vs. Reality,” Martinez has created a life-sized steel sculpture that transforms industrial material into a vessel for historical narrative, embodying both the strength and vulnerability of Black liberation.

Drawing from ancestral knowledge rooted in Benin’s metalworking traditions, Martinez’s practice spans mixed media sculpture, metals, fibers, and mold making to craft works that traverse the African diaspora’s complex landscapes. A member of the We Here Black Women’s Arts Collective and Road Trip Collective, she creates art that serves as both resistance and protest — confronting social constraints that attempt to silence or erase Black stories. Her sculpture for this exhibition honors the hope that freedom ignited while acknowledging the barriers that have persistently attempted to stifle Black progress, using futuristic materials to contribute to liberated, empowered Black futures beyond present constraints.

Can you describe your artwork featured in the exhibition and walk us through your creative process?

My artwork in this exhibition is a life-sized steel sculpture that draws deeply from ancestral knowledge, historical architecture, and the symbolic power of material. Working with steel — a medium my great-great-grandfather once used as a blacksmith—I approach each bar and weld as a dialogue with the past, embodying both strength and memory. Materiality is central — steel, both industrial and enduring, speaks to labor, legacy, and the duality of protection and vulnerability. Through form and symbol, the work becomes a vessel for historical narrative, ancestral tribute, and a meditation on what it means to build, to hold, and to remember.

How does your piece speak to the meaning and legacy of Juneteenth?

My piece speaks to the meaning and legacy of Juneteenth by honoring the hope and resilience that freedom ignited, while also acknowledging the barriers that have long attempted to stifle Black progress and legacy. Created with a sense of forward momentum, the work embodies the optimism and strength of those who looked ahead despite hardship. It’s a reflection on both the weight of history and the unwavering spirit to build, to dream, and to move forward—legacy intact.

What role do you believe art plays in preserving and communicating Black culture and history?

Art holds an honest and powerful role in preserving and communicating Black culture and history. It captures the depth of heritage, family lineage, and belief systems in ways that words alone often cannot—carrying forward stories that might otherwise be forgotten.

How does your work reflect or challenge the social realities we live in today?

My work is an act of resistance and protest. It confronts and challenges the social constraints that attempt to silence or erase us. Through bold expression, it asserts our right to exist and sheds light on the realities that defy oppression.

Do you see your piece engaging with themes of Afrofuturism or reimagining Black futures?

Yes, my work engages with Afrofuturism by using futuristic materials and approaches to reframe how we discuss Black identity and experience. Through resistance and noncompliance, the piece contributes to liberated, empowered Black futures beyond the constraints of the present.

What personal stories or emotions did you draw from when creating this work?

This work draws deeply from my personal and family history with steel, rooted in our ancestral connection to metalwork in Benin. It honors my great-great-grandfather, who was brought through the Middle Passage even after it was supposed to have ended. His legacy lives through the materials I use and the stories I tell.