Woody De Othello constructs intentionally wonky, anthropomorphized sculptures of common artifacts of domestic life—tables, radiators, flower vases, lamps, television sets—in glazed ceramic, bronze, wood, and glass. Othello infuses his work with humor, whimsy, and touches of African “Nkisi,” a belief system in which spirits inhabit everyday objects. In both his sculptures and works on paper, Othello imbues these static household objects with movement and emotion—they are often stretched or slumped over, seemingly overcome by gravity. He received a BFA from Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton and an MFA from the California College of Arts, San Francisco. He was included in this years Whitney Biennial (2022), the 33rd Ljublijana Biennial of Graphic Arts in Ljublijana, Slovenia, and has recently exhibited with Karma, New York (2019); Jessica Silverman Gallery, San Francisco, California (2018); Quality, Oakland, California (2016); and UFO Gallery, Berkeley, California (2016). In 2019-2020, Othello was the subject of a one-person exhibition at the San Jose Museum of Art, California. He is represented by Jessica Silverman Gallery in San Francisco, Karma Gallery in New York and Stephen Friedman Gallery in London.
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2021
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Born 1991 in Miami, Florida.
Lives and works in Oakland, California.
Solo Exhibitions
2024
Faith Like a Rock, Stephen Friedman Gallery, London, UK
2022
Maybe Tomorrow, Karma, New York, NY
2021
Looking In, Jessica Silverman Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Hope Omens, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan, WI
2020
Lulu, Mexico City
Nina Johnson, Miami, FL
The Box, Pippy Houldsworth Gallery, London, England
2019
Woody De Othello, Karma, New York, NY
Woody De Othello: Breathing Room, San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose, California
2018
Living Room, Jessica Silverman Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2016
Lights Out Night Out, Quality, Oakland, CA
Real Life Still Life, Old New England, Berkeley, CA
Patty’s Mashed Potatoes, UFO Gallery, Berkeley, CA
2015
It’s Going To Be Okay, Unit 1, Lake Worth, FL
Group Exhibitions
2024
A Particular Kind of Heaven, Karma, Thomaston, ME
Poke in the Eye: Art of the West Coast Counterculture, Seattle Art Museum, WA
Material World (curated by Gina Beavers), Marianne Boesky Gallery, New York, NY
Fraenkenstien, Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco, CA
We Make Art in Richmond, NIAD, Richmond, CA
2023
Home/Work San Luis Obispo Museum of Art, San Luis Obispo, CA
Strange Clay: Ceramics in Contemporary Art, Hayward Gallery, London
Hear Me Now: The Black Potters of Old Edgefield, South Carolina, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
This Present Moment: Crafting a Better World Smithsonian American Art Museum and Renwick Gallery, Washington D.C.
2022
A Thing for the Mind, Timothy Taylor, London
Whitney Biennial 2022: Quiet as It’s Kept, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York
On the Edge: CCA Clay Pence Gallery, Davis, CA
2021
Our whole, unruly selves San José Museum of Art, San José, CA
Day Trip, Reynolds Gallery, Richmond, VA
Clay Pop, Deitch Projects, New York, NY
We Are Here, Jessica Silverman, San Francisco, CA
Close to Home: Creativity in Crisis, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, CA
Sleight of Hand, Center for Craft, Asheville, NC
2020
High Voltage, Nassima-Landau Project, Tel Aviv, Israel
Justice, Marin Museum of Contemporary Art, Novato, CA
Material Conditions, Matthew Brown Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
The Burdens of History, NCECA Conference, Richmond, VA
(Nothing but) Flowers, Karma, New York, NY
The Essential Goods Show, Fisher Parrish, New York, NY
Coming to Light, Nina Johnson, Miami, FL
The Burdens of History, NCECA Conference, Richmond, VA
2019
Roommates, Shulamit Nazarian, Los Angeles, CA
Planned Obsolescence, SJSU Art Gallery, San Jose, CA
33rd Ljublijana Biennial of Graphic Arts, Ljublijana, Slovenia
Blow Up, Friedman Benda Gallery, New York, NY
2018
Bay Area Now 8, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA
Horizon Lines, Jessica Silverman Gallery at 288 Pacific, San Francisco, CA
Kinship, Jessica Silverman Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Front International Cleveland Triennial For Contemporary Art, Cleveland, OH
From the Ground Up, Carrie Secrist Gallery, Chicago, IL
Kinder Gentler Nation, Karma, New York, NY
2017
Working TWO Scale: New Bay Area Ceramic Sculpture, Sonoma State University Art Gallery, Sonoma, CA
Matt Kleberg and Woody De Othello, Johansson Projects, Oakland, CA
Homo Mundus Minor, Gallery T293, Rome, Italy
30th Annual Barclay Simpson Master of Fine Arts Award Exhibition, Perry Family Event Center, San Francisco, CA
To Speak of Trees, Alter Space at Minnesota Street Projects, San Francisco, CA
2016
All College Honors, Hubbell Street Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Rocks and Socks, College Avenue Gallery, Oakland, CA
Ottawa Makers Market, The RIdeau Curling Club, Ottawa, ON, Canada
Clay Bodies, 7264 N. Miami Ct, Miami, FL
2015
Grayscale, 5&J Gallery, Lubbock, TX
Possessed, Fat Village Projects, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Resident Exit Show, Armory Arts Center, West Palm Beach, FL
2014
The Contenders, Unit 1, Lake Worth, FL
Monstrous Strange, Fat Village Projects, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Acid Reflux, Fat Village Projects, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
The Strange Ones, Unit 1, Lake Worth, FL
Southern Exposure: New Work Now, Palm Beach Cultural Council, Lake Worth, FL
Outside The Box 2, White Space Gallery, West Palm Beach, FL
Fluidity, Artserve, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
All Florida Ceramics Invitational, Nathan H. Wilson Center, Jacksonville, FL
2013
Small Wonders, World and Eye Arts Center, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Apex: Fall 2013 BFA Exhibition, Ritter Art Gallery, Boca Raton, FL
Inferno, Armory Art Center, West Palm Beach, FL
College of Arts & Letters Dean’s Reception, Northern Trust Bank, Boca Raton, FL
Red Eye Art, Artserve, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Lounge Series, Arts Council of Martin County, Stuart, FL
Arts After Darks, Arts Council of Martin County, Stuart, FL
2012
23rd Annual University Juried Student Exhibition, Atlantic Center of The Arts, New Smyrna Beach, FL
Four Minutes, Thirty Three Seconds, Legal Art, Miami, FL
Awards/Grants
2017
Toby Devan Lewis Award
2016
Barclay Simpson Award
CCA Merit Scholarship
2015
CCA All College Honors
CCA Merit Scholarship
2013
Claire V. Dorst Scholarship (FAU)
Runner-up of Fine Art in Creative Quarterly
John McCoy Scholarship (FAU)
Rothenberger Endowed Scholarship for Humanities (FAU
2012
Marvin and Eileen Reingold Contemporary Ceramics Collection
2011
Rothenberger Endowed Scholarship for Humanities: Printmaking (FAU)
Woody De Othello
Shifting Through Space
2021
Color aquatint and softground etching.
Rives BFK paper.
Image Size: 36" x 30"
Paper Size: 43.5” x 37”
Edition of 40
Woody De Othello
Steppin Through the Night
2021
Color aquatint and softground etching.
Rives BFK paper.
Image Size: 36" x 30"
Paper Size: 43.5” x 37”
Edition of 40
Woody De Othello
Isn't This Still Life
2021
Color aquatint, sugarlift and spitbite aquatints.
Somerset Textured White paper.
Image Size: 24" x 18"
Paper Size: 29.5” x 22.75”
Edition of 30
Woody De Othello
Bright Spots
2021
Color sugarlift aquatint and spitbite aquatint.
Somerset Textured White paper.
Image Size: 24" x 18"
Paper Size: 29.5” x 22.75”
Edition of 30
Woody De Othello
About That Time
2021
Color spitbite aquatint and softground etching with drypoint.
Somerset Textured White paper.
Image Size: 24" x 18"
Paper Size: 29.5” x 22.75”
Edition of 30
Woody De Othello
Another Sleepless Night
2021
Color sugarlift aquatint and spitbite aquatint.
Rives BFK paper.
Image Size: 24" x 36"
Paper Size: 32.5” x 44”
Edition of 30