10/28/2026
It is with heavy hearts and solemn remembrance that we honor the life and legacy of Ursula von Rydingsvard, an extraordinary Polish-American sculptor, a remarkable woman, and a cherished friend. ❤️
We had the great honor of representing Ursula in the early days of our gallery alongside my father, Byron C. Cohen, introducing her extraordinary work to Kansas City audiences and beyond.
Looking back over the years, we are reminded not only of her immense artistic talent, but also of the wonderful friendship and relationship we built with her. We loved visiting Ursula’s studio, hearing about her creative process, and witnessing the almost magical way she transformed humble materials, particularly cedar, into monumental, deeply moving sculptures. Her work possessed a remarkable sense of intimacy and humanity, even at its most extraordinary scale.
One particularly fond memory is how Ursula would create smaller, more intimately scaled sculptures especially for our gallery, in contrast to the enormous, architectural works for which she became so well known. These pieces allowed collectors to experience the beauty, complexity, and emotional power of her sculpture within their own homes and collections. It was a wonderful privilege to share this more intimate side of her practice with our community.
In 1998, we were honored to present Ursula von Rydingsvard: Recent Sculpture, on view May 2–June 20 at the Byron C. Cohen Gallery for Contemporary Art, then located at 2000 Baltimore in Kansas City. The exhibition included works such as Untitled (Seven Sacks) (1993–1998), a beautiful cedar and graphite sculpture, presented courtesy of Gallery Lelong. Fun photo moment of my father in front of one sculpture and my mother at a fair in front of another.
Ursula - we love you and your work and will be saddened by your departure. Thank you for all the lives you’ve touched with your work - including my family .
❤️Toma
