Janey Waney

Janey Waney (1969) is a monumental painted steel sculpture by Alexander Calder, one of the most influential sculptors of the 20th century. Known for his invention of the mobile and his radical approach to form, color, and space, Calder redefined sculpture as something dynamic, playful, and deeply connected to the environments it inhabits.

In this work, Calder abandons kinetic movement in favor of a bold, grounded form—what he referred to as a “stabile.” Composed of curved, interlocking steel planes and painted in his signature red, Janey Waney is both architectonic and lyrical. It invites viewers to move around and through its forms, engaging with the sculpture from multiple angles and discovering its dynamic balance of weight and airiness.

The title Janey Waney—playful, rhythmic, and enigmatic—is typical of Calder’s intuitive naming style. Though the work is abstract, it carries a strong sense of motion and character. Its sweeping arcs and intersecting shapes create a visual rhythm that echoes Calder’s background in performance and stage design, while its vivid color reinforces his interest in sculpture as a visual and emotional presence in space.

Originally conceived in 1969, Janey Waney was fabricated posthumously in 2014 in accordance with the artist’s specifications and under the supervision of the Calder Foundation. Its presence in Riyadh as part of the Riyadh Art Permanent Collection signals a connection to global modernism and affirms the city’s role as a cultural landmark.

More than a static object, Janey Waney becomes a site of encounter—between material and movement, between the past and the present, and between local audiences and international art history. In Calder’s hands, steel becomes light, playful, and full of possibility.