Huma Bhabha draws inspiration from past representations of the human figure, such as Paleolithic, Egyptian, or classical sculptures of ancient Greece, as well as imagery taken from today’s cartoons, horror films, and science fiction. The characteristic pose of Archaic Greek Kouros figures used in temple sanctuaries and as grave monuments, the physicality of Auguste Rodin’s hand-carved and modeled production methods, and the eerie visual quality of films such as The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) are influential models and sources. Her unsettling figures, monstrous and alien, speak to the cycle of growth, destruction, and the potential for restoration. This drama is heightened by her disquieting blend of abstraction and figuration, one merging seamlessly into the other. In this 12 foot high bronze sculpture, she positions a female figure with a missing arm and a peg leg as a monumentalized giant. The oddities of the figure, especially its exaggerations, may evoke humor which aids in humanizing her monsters and providing an avenue of access otherwise denied the viewer. The work could also be perceived as having several faces, like the Roman god Janus; these various “fronts” or facades require viewing from multiple angles. The mythological Janus also exhibited dualities, such as life and death, beginnings and endings, entrances and exits, and was often seen as the god of doorways. This is a fitting metaphor for a figure in which we question whether it is the aggressor or the victim.  

Bhabha also works in painting, drawing, photography, and printmaking. In each media, the process of creating a work is spontaneous and rapid. For example, she does not sketch out a sculpture before beginning. Bhabha first manipulates and carves Styrofoam or cork, which she may combine with other found materials to create a figure. She then casts this form in bronze and often paints it or adds a colored patina. The dark patina on Even Stones Have Eyes gives the impression of rust and age, which aids in its persona as a seemingly ancient as well as contemporary object.