Odili Donald Odita

Odili Donald Odita is an abstract artist whose practice revolves around the power and dynamics of color. His paintings delve into the historical and sociopolitical significance of color in both figurative and abstract contexts.

Biography of Odili Donald Odita

Odili Donald Odita was born in 1966 in Enugu, Nigeria. In 1967, his family fled Nigeria to escape the Biafran War, eventually settling in Columbus, Ohio, United States.

From the age of five, Odita started reproducing drawings from superhero comic books and later progressed to fashion magazines.

He graduated with a BFA, with Distinction, from Ohio State University in 1988, where he was also honored with the Excellence in the Arts Award. He went on to earn an MFA from Bennington College, Vermont in 1990.

During the 1990s, Odita served as a critic for Flash Art International. From 2002 to 2003, he was a Visiting Associate Professor in Painting at the University of South Florida, Tampa. He also held the position of Visiting Critic in Painting at Yale University School of Art from 2003 to 2005.  Since 2006, Odita has been an Associate Professor of Painting at the Tyler School of Art / Temple University in Philadelphia.

In 2021, the Philadelphia Museum of Art commissioned Odili Donald Odita to create a wall-based mural titled "Walls of Change." This artwork was conceived in response to the 2020 Black Lives Matter movement, particularly the regular protests held on the museum steps during that time.

Currently, the artist lives and works in Philadelphia, USA.

Odili Donald Odita's Art Style

Odita's art integrates geometric patterns and vivid colors, frequently on a grand scale, expressed through painting, wall installations, and now printmaking. He sees color as a dynamic force in his art, capable of reflecting personal experiences and significant historical and political moments.

For Odita, color not only mirrors the complexity of the world but also holds the potential to be distinct. In his paintings, colors blend and intertwine, acting as dynamic agents that capture the essential power of light in defining our surroundings. He employs colors that evoke his personal memories, meticulously hand-mixing them to produce unique shades for his compositions.

Born in Nigeria and raised in the American Midwest, Odita's art is deeply influenced by a dual identity, blending elements of Western modernity with African culture. His work explores the juxtaposition of cultures and seeks to forge something new from distinct components. Much like a stitched or quilted textile, his paintings weave together different spaces, times, and emotional states, capturing the intricacies of culture, identity, and existence.

His primary medium is painting, though he also explores photo-based works and installation art. Since the 1990s, he has focused on large-scale paintings on canvas and Plexiglass. He occasionally utilizes wall painting to transform the perception of space.

While often compared to abstract artists like Helen Frankenthaler and Kenneth Noland, Odita deliberately situates himself within the tradition of black abstract painters from the 1970s and 1980s.