Alfredo Halegua initially didn’t name this 25-foot sculpture. Nearly two decades after its creation, he added the title America, which is inspired by the form of the work. Halegua said that the bend near its base reminded him of something that grew with great difficulty at first, but resulted in “something positive”—like the United States.

The Washington, DC–based sculptor, born in Uruguay, creates large-scale abstract sculptures using materials like steel and metal. He focuses on geometric abstraction and on the two-dimensionality of lines and forms. The artist has experimented for decades with clean lines, sharp angles, and negative space. Halegua’s public artworks are on view across the United States.