Vandorn Hinnant

Vandorn Hinnant (born 1953) is a visual artist, poet and educator based in Durham, North Carolina.

Early life and education

Hinnant grew up in Old Asheboro neighborhood in Greensboro, North Carolina. He began studying Sacred Geometry formally in 1989 with his mentor, inventor and physicist Robert L. Powell, Sr. In the 1980s Hinnant introduced fractal mathematics, the Golden Ratio, the Logarithmic Spiral, Sacred Geometery and most currently STEAM concepts into his work to explore metaphysical ideas. The ancient architectures in Egypt, India, Rome and Greece that use these concepts were his original influences, unpacking "pre-material template of energies," he said.

In 1991 Hinnant was a founding member of the African American Atelier in Greensboro, of which he was a member of its first board. In 1999 he was a featured artist in Round 10 of Project Row Houses. His work was on display at Fayetteville Museum of Art in 1998 and 2006. In 2011 Hinnant's work was included in an exhibition about mathematics through art at Antioch College. This exhibition also included work by Sol LeWitt, Karen Finley, DJ Spooky, Dread Scott, and John Sims.

In 2014 Hinnant's work was included in an exhibition about the golden ratio at the Saugerties Performing Arts Factory in New York. His work was also in an exhibition at The National Center for the Study of Civil Rights and African American Culture at Alabama State University. His work was included in the Museum of the Golden Ratio, a virtual museum of artworks. His work was also included in an exhibition called African American Abstraction at City Gallery East in Atlanta that same year.

In 2017 Hinnant created two-story public sculpture, called Monument to Leadership, for Fayetteville State University's 150 year anniversary. The piece represented the pioneering vision of the school.

He was commissioned in 2018 by the city of Greensboro to design an artwork on the Bragg Street Downtown Greenway.

Hinnant's work is in public collections at the Atlanta International Airport, Wachovia Bank, Capital Broadcasting Company in Raleigh, NationsBank in Charlotte, Miller Brewing Company, Duke University Medical Center, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Brandywine Workshop Collection and the Cumberland County Public Library among others. His work is also featured at the Piedmont Triad International Airport. Hinnant was a 1994 recipient of the North Carolina Artist Fellowship.

Mandalas Many of Hinnant's works explore mandalas, a visual spiritual and ritual symbol in Hinduism and Buddhism, representing the universe. He uses circles, lines, angles, polyhedrons and color and tint to explore mandalas in his drawings, paintings and sculpture which are often installed together.

A Monument to Dignity and Respect In 2019 Hinnant was commissioned by the group Action Greenway to create a public artwork for the section of the greenway located alongside the Ole Asheboro neighborhood in Greensboro, North Carolina—the neighborhood Hinnant grew up in. Hinnant used inspiration from neighborhood meetings concerning the project to create the piece for the greenway titled, A Monument to Dignity and Respect. This monument consists of two separate structures, a block apart, that work in dialogue with one another. Both structures sit on a metal trapezoid which has a plaque with three different quotes on it. The quotes on each plaque are from three different members of the Ole Asheboro neighborhood who were considered large forces in the neighborhood. On top of each trapezoid is a metal hand and arm that point to the sky. On one arm reads, "Dignity, united we stand". On the other arm reads, "Respect, together we rise". These structures were completed and installed in 2020.

The monument is meant to accomplish the following things—represent the Ole Asheboro community, pay tribute to the freedom fighters of African descent in North America as well as the pioneers of the civil rights movement, and work to encourage the continued global cause for human rights.