06/10/2026
Our first artist feature from Sculpture in the Direct Method is Ajene Cetawayo Williams! Ajene is an artist based in Birmingham, AL where is the Senior Artist in Residence .
Bio:
Williams began his art training while attending Woodlawn High School, where he was taught and mentored by Jena Momenee. Momenee enrolled him in the Summer Youth Program at Sloss Furnaces, where he was quickly recognized as a gifted artist, winning first place in the program’s exhibition. Thereafter, Williams was invited to work at Sloss Furnaces in 2011 as a paid intern. He currently holds the prestigious title of Artist in Residence at Sloss Furnaces.
As a child, Ajene wanted to be a magician, “but I was never very good,” he says. It didn’t take long for him to realize that it wasn’t the magician’s equipment that made illusions, but rather the way the magician would use his hands. “Hands are magic,” he explains, “We can create anything with our hands, if we are able to imagine it.” Williams is gifted at manifesting exactly what he sees in perfect proportion, perfect harmony. Yet, he no longer seeks to create illusion with his magic. Now, he seeks only to show the world’s deepest, most often missed truths.
Come to Krasl to see Ajene’s sculpture not just in our Main Galleries, but outdoors off of Lake Blvd.
Krasl is open Tues - Fri from 1 - 9 PM and Sat 10 AM - 6 PM with our outdoor sculpture available to view 24/7.
Sculpture in the Direct Method is on view through August 8.
Image 2: Light Breeze, scrap metal, 2025
Image 5: The Grind, cast iron and scrap metal, 2020
