San Antonio artist Kaldric Dow pays homage to African American culture while honoring Martin Luther King Jr. in his recently debuted “Spheres of Reflection” sculpture.

Kaldric Dow is known for his portraits, which emphasize rich skin tones, bold compositions and dynamic shapes. They often highlight African American culture and are meant to inspire young adults to feel empowered in their skin, he says. “Spheres of Reflection,” which is 13 feet tall and sits on a 4 foot base, aligns with both his values and artistic vision.

“The goal for this piece was to combine Martin Luther King’s vision with my artistic perspective,” says Dow.

The sculpture is Dow’s first three-dimensional, large-scale piece and was made possible through the San Antonio Department of Arts and Culture’s “Sketch to Sculpture Program.” The sculpture is part of a larger department initiative to work with local artists to create public works that represent communities throughout the city.

Fabricating the structure took a little over a year to complete, from the initial sculpture design to working alongside engineers to install the steel structure, Dow says.

The piece depicts an anonymous face that is topped with a cylindrical tower of black reflective spheres that carry the viewer’s gaze upward. The face is meant to be a universal representation of Black and brown-skinned individuals while the spheres represent hair, which Dow says is important in African American culture and symbolizes strength and empowerment.

“I want people to feel familiar with the face, where it can represent someone in their family or themselves,” he says.

The spheres are reflective so that people can see themselves while looking at the sculpture and not only self-reflect but also feel a sense of empowerment. Each sphere also features words that are common in Martin Luther King Jr.’s speeches and writings, including dream, sincerity, brave, bold, change and accountability.

The sculpture sits in Martin Luther King Park and in front of a Boys and Girls Club of San Antonio location as well as Martin Luther King Jr. Academy, which Dow says is an ideal location.

“I’m hoping that students go up to it and see themselves reflected … so that they have this sense that they are being represented and a sense of pride in themselves and their culture,” Dow says. “I hope that’s the biggest impact.”