“With ‘Unity,’ Hank Willis Thomas captures a huge range of meaning with a simple form, conveying a sense of uplift, hope, and a little bit of Brooklyn attitude at this prominent site. We are thrilled to join our partners at DDC and DOT to install this instantly iconic work of public art.” - Kendal Henry, Director of the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs’ Percent for Art program.

Unity, a monumental public artwork, is permanently installed on the western Tillary Street median at the intersection with Adams Street. Commissioned through the City’s Percent for Art program as part of the ongoing reconstruction of Tillary Street in Downtown Brooklyn, the piece measures 22.5 feet in height and creates a new landmark at this high-profile location, adjacent to the pedestrian path entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge. According to Thomas, “this sculpture is an homage to and celebration of the unique and multi-faceted character of the borough of Brooklyn.” Unity suggests the arm of an athlete, echoing a smaller sculpture of an arm spinning a basketball on the tip of a finger that Thomas conceived in 2015. That work, called Liberty, is inspired by a photograph of a Harlem Globetrotter and cast from the arm of one-time NBA All-Star Juwan Howard and is now in the Brooklyn Museum.