View All Exhibitions

Thomas J Price, Moments Contained. Bronze, height: 9' (274.4 cm).

Thomas J Price, Moments Contained, 2022. Bronze, height: 9' (274.4 cm). Art Gallery of Ontario. Purchase, with funds from Anonymous, the David Yuile & Mary Elizabeth Hodgson Fund, David W. Binet, the Haynes-Connell Foundation, an Anonymous Family, the Gordon and Lorraine Gibson Family Foundation, Chandaria Family, Steven & Lynda Latner, Charles Lesaux, Aaron Nugent & Becky LeBlanc, Ella Nugent, Mascoll Family, Dr. Liza & Dr. Frederick Murrell, Sekyi-Otu Family, Kevin Jerome Crouch in honour of Kaliyana John, Tyrone & Life Edwards, Kevin, Nevaeh, Keenan & Cali Johnson in honour of Monica Johnson, Karen Arcuri, Tracy McFerrin & Michael Dickstein, and Jill Homenuk, 2023. © Thomas J Price. 2024/116

Moments Contained

On view

Located on Dundas St. West, east of the main doors

Admission is always FREE for AGO Members, AGO Annual Passholders & Ontarians under 25, and Indigenous Peoples. Learn more.

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

A celebration of shared humanity, Thomas J Price’s monumental sculpture Moments Contained (2022) depicts a young woman casually dressed, standing 2.7 meters tall, and is made of bronze. Price’s character holds a serene expression. With her feet firmly planted on the sidewalk, she appears outwardly confident, but the hands she hides in her pockets are visibly clenched, suggesting a tension between her inner thoughts and outward expression.

Combining details from ancient Greek, Roman, and Egyptian art, with subtleties observed from contemporary life, Price describes his works as “psychological portraits”. His process is also an amalgamation of techniques, combining as it does traditional sculpting with the use of 3D scanning technology for body and clothing detail.

Inviting viewers to question whose identities should be celebrated in shared spaces, Price says Moments Contained is a gesture that he hopes can lead to greater empathy and connection.

“I want people to recognize themselves and feel valued.”

-- Thomas J Price     

 

Moments Contained is the first public artwork to be acquired by the AGO’s Department of Arts of Global Africa and the Diaspora. Moments Contained is expected to reside in its new location for years to come. The sculpture is accompanied by a descriptive panel.

 

ABOUT THE ARTIST

A headshot of Thomas J Price. They are looking to their left, towards sunlight. They are wearing a long sleeved button up dark green shirt, overtop of a black shirt. They are standing in front of a white building with square windows.

Photo by Ollie Adegboye

Born in 1981, Price lives and works in London. He studied at Chelsea College of Art and the Royal College of Art, London and has held solo exhibitions at institutions including: The Power Plant, Toronto, Canada; The National Portrait Gallery, London, UK; the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, West Bretton, UK; the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK; Kunsthalle Krems, Austria; and Kunsthal Rotterdam. Price’s work is held in collections such as the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Canada; Brooklyn Museum, New York, NY; National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia; Studio Museum in Harlem, New York, NY; and The Legacy Museum, Montgomery, AL.

Price was commissioned by the Hackney Council to create the first permanent public sculptures to celebrate the contribution of the Windrush generation and their descendants in the UK, unveiled in June 2022. His solo presentation, ‘Witness’, in collaboration with The Studio Museum in Harlem, was on view in Marcus Garvey Park from 2021–22.

In March 2025, Price opened a multi-venue exhibition in Florence across Piazza della Signoria, Palazzo Vecchio and Museo Novecento. From late April to mid June, the artist presented Grounded in the Stars in Times Square alongside a nightly presentation of his Man Series stop motion animations in May. In September the artist will unveil the inaugural Neil Balvanes Tallawoladah Lawn Commission at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney, Australia.

VIDEO

Related talks and events - reusable USE THIS ONE

Sorry, no events found. Check back soon.
Be the first to find out about AGO exhibitions and events, get the behind-the-scenes scoop, and book tickets before your visit.
Sign up to get AGO news right to your inbox. You can unsubscribe at any time.