‘Roy Lichtenstein: In the Studio’ explores the artist’s sculptural practice in Dallas

Drawn from a landmark gift by the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation, Roy Lichtenstein: In the Studio presents a focused selection of rarely seen Roy Lichtenstein works that highlight the artist’s experimental approach to sculpture. The exhibition is on view at the Nasher Sculpture Center from January 31st to August 16th, 2026, and at the Dallas Museum of Art from January 15th to July 5th, 2026. Together, the two presentations reconsider the Pop Art pioneer not only as a painter but as a sculptor deeply engaged with form, material, and illusion.

This project is being launched to help people get ready for a big exhibition about Roy Lichtenstein’s art that will be held at the Whitney Museum of American Art later in 2026. The project will show a side of Lichtenstein’s art that not many people know about. The exhibition was created using artworks that were bought together in 2024. More than fifty artworks were donated by the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation. These include sculptures, prints, drawings and models. They show how the artist used his bold graphic language to create three-dimensional art.

Roy Lichtenstein works: reconsidering the studio practice

The presentation focuses on Roy Lichtenstein’s works, which show how the artist created his art. Preparatory drawings, sculptural studies, and models show how Lichtenstein changed simple drawings into real objects, playing with the line between looking and touching. Together, these works show the playful but careful way he thinks, where images from comic books, everyday objects, and references to art history meet.

Brushstroke sculpture: turning gesture into form

One of the most popular artworks is Lichtenstein’s Brushstroke Sculpture Series. These works turn the expressive mark of a painted brushstroke into solid form, transforming a fleeting painterly gesture into a monumental sculptural statement. Examples of carved wooden pieces at the Dallas Museum of Art show this contradiction – making something spontaneous but with a lot of detail. Their curvy shapes and strong lines also remind us of Pop Art’s love of copying and playing with images.

Sculptural experiments: Head with Blue Shadow, Peace through Chemistry, and Double Glass

At the Nasher Sculpture Center, key sculptures further illuminate Roy Lichtenstein’s inventive approach. Head with Blue Shadow transforms a comic-style profile into a sculptural form balancing graphic flatness and depth, while Peace through Chemistry reimagines laboratory glassware as a playful composition. In Double Glass, an everyday object is enlarged into a study of clarity, scale, and visual simplicity.

Displayed alongside preparatory drawings and maquettes, these works reveal how Lichtenstein carefully translated graphic ideas into three-dimensional form. The project also includes a Study Day on March 28th, 2026, concluding with a public conversation between Nasher Director Carlos Basualdo and artist Alex Da Corte ahead of the upcoming retrospective at the Whitney Museum of American Art.

Special thanks to SUTTON