George W. Hart

George W. Hart, born in 1955, is an American sculptor and geometer whose work transforms abstract mathematics into stunning three-dimensional art. With a Ph.D. in electrical engineering and computer science from MIT, an M.A. in linguistics from Indiana University, and a B.S. in mathematics from MIT, he has spent decades exploring how software and digital technology can drive the design and fabrication of sculpture. As a research professor at Stony Brook University until his retirement, Hart pioneered the use of computer modeling and 3D printing to bring complex geometric forms to life. His pieces are celebrated worldwide for their mathematical precision, inventive use of materials, and the joyful way they invite viewers to see the beauty hidden in algorithms.

Hart’s work connects advanced technology with the enduring principles of geometry. His intricate sculptures emerge from his pioneering use of computer-aided design and 3D printing to transform complex algorithms into physical form. He has formulated novel classes of polyhedra and brought them to life in materials such as metal and wood, while sharing his methods through the online Encyclopedia of Polyhedra and his books Multidimensional Analysis and Zome Geometry. Hart’s large-scale, participatory projects, developed with Elisabeth Heathfield through “Making Math Visible,” engage communities in the assembly of geometric forms. He earned a New York State Council for the Arts Individual Artist’s Award and has shaped the field as associate editor of the Journal of Mathematics and the Arts, president of the Bridges Organization, co-founder of the Museum of Mathematics, and director of MoSAIC math and art festivals. 

From international exhibitions to hands-on workshops on four-dimensional models and collaborative puzzle designs, Hart demonstrates how art, mathematics, and technology can inspire discovery. His work has appeared in group exhibitions at the Whitney Museum in New York, the World Science Festival in New York, the US Science and Engineering Festival in Washington, D.C., the Institut Henri Poincaré in Paris and at Princeton University. His sculptures are also held in the permanent collections of MIT, UC Berkeley, Duke University, Princeton University and Stony Brook University, where they continue to showcase the elegance of geometric form realized through cutting-edge methods.