Uman
Born1980
Somalia
Known forPainting, Sculpture
MovementContemporary Art

Uman (born 1980) is a Somali painter and sculptor.[1] Self-taught as a painter, Uman has received critical acclaim for her use of colour and figurative abstraction.[2][3] Her painting LSD snowfall was on the cover of winter 2022 issue of The Paris Review and her style described as "bright, geometric, and vivid".[4] Roberta Smith, co-chief art critic at The New York Times, has praised Uman as a "truly gifted artist".[5]

Early years

Uman was born in Somalia in 1980 and spent a substantial part of her early life in Mombasa, Kenya.[6] In 1989, her family decided to move to Kenya due to the eruption of the Somali Civil War, and they settled there permanently.[6] In the early 2000s, Uman was living in New York and participating in the city's creative scene.[6]

Career

Uman gained notability for her unique and original approach to art, blending cross-cultural, art historical, and textile-based references in her paintings, sculptures, and assemblage works.[7][8][9][10][11]She began by selling art on the streets of New York in the early 2000s.[12] In 2015, she had her first solo exhibition at White Columns in New York City, which garnered significant attention.[13] Her third solo show, I Will Sit Here and Wait for You, was reviewed and called a Must See in N.Y.C. galleries by co-chief art critic of The New York Times Roberta Smith, and featured in the New York Galleries: What to See Right Now.[14] In 2022 Uman began being represented by Nicola Vassell, who sold out a booth of her paintings at the Independent Fair that same year,[15] and her first solo show with the Nicola Vassell Gallery, I Want Everything Now, was noted by the What to See in N.Y.C. galleries which was reviewed by New York Times art critic Will Heinrich[16]

For winter 2023 Hauser & Wirth and Nicola Vassell announced a "collective impact" model with joint representation of Uman.[17]

Uman has had solo exhibitions at Nicola Vassell, New York City;[18] Eleni Koroneou Gallery, , Athens;[19] Fierman, New York City;[20] Anne de Villepoix, Paris;[21] and White Columns, New York City.[22][23]

Personal life

Uman lives in upstate New York and has a studio in Albany, New York.[6]

Exhibitions

References

  1. ^ "Meet Uman". Hauser & Wirth. 7 January 2016. Retrieved 2023-12-07.
  2. ^ Schwabsky, Barry. "Uman". Independent Art Fair. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
  3. ^ Heinrich, Will (2022-05-05). "An Elegant Return to Form at Independent Art Fair". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
  4. ^ Jacobson, Camille (2022-12-19). "LSD Snowfall: An Interview with Uman". The Paris Review. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
  5. ^ "New York Galleries: What to See Right Now". The New York Times. 2019-07-24. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
  6. ^ a b c d Durón, Maximilíano (2023-11-08). "Best Practices: Artist Uman Courts a Constant State of Evolution in Her Paintings". ARTnews. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
  7. ^ "Uman". White Columns. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
  8. ^ "Uman - Features - Independent Art Fair". www.independenthq.com. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  9. ^ "Meet Uman, The Gender Fluid Artist Who Taught Herself To Express". HuffPost. 2016-01-07. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  10. ^ Burke, Emily (2023-06-16). "Uman's Studio in Upstate New York is a Portal to a Kaleidoscopic World". ELEPHANT. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
  11. ^ Benschop, Jurriaan (2022-11-10). "Uman". Artforum. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
  12. ^ Durón, Maximilíano (2023-11-08). "Best Practices: Artist Uman Courts a Constant State of Evolution in Her Paintings". ARTnews.com. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
  13. ^ "New York Galleries: What to See Right Now". The New York Times. 2019-07-24. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
  14. ^ Schwendener, Martha; Diehl, Travis; Heinrich, Will; Lakin, Max; Gopnik, Blake (May 3, 2023). "What to See in N.Y.C. Galleries in May". The New York Times.
  15. ^ Heinrich, Will (2022-05-05). "An Elegant Return to Form at Independent Art Fair". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
  16. ^ Lakin, Max; Diehl, Travis; Schwendener, Martha; Cotter, Holland; Farago, Jason; Smith, Roberta; Heinrich, Will (2023-06-01). "What to See in N.Y.C. Galleries in June". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
  17. ^ Douglas, Sarah (2023-11-28). "Hauser & Wirth and Nicola Vassell Unveil New 'Collective Impact' Model with Collaborative Representation of Artist Uman". ARTnews. Retrieved 2023-12-07.
  18. ^ "Uman". Nicola Vassell. Retrieved 2023-12-07.
  19. ^ "Uman". koroneougallery.com.
  20. ^ "Uman". Fierman. Retrieved 2023-12-07.
  21. ^ "Uman". Galerie Anne de Villepoix (in French).
  22. ^ White Columns. "Uman: White Columns: Sep 11, 2015 – Oct 24, 2015". Mutual Art.
  23. ^ Sagansky, Gillian (2022-10-21). "How an Arts Organization Is Leading the Future of Festivals". W Magazine. Retrieved 2023-12-07.[failed verification]
  24. ^ a b "Welcoming Uman to Hauser & Wirth in Partnership with Nicola Vassell Gallery". Culture Type. 6 December 2023.
  25. ^ "Art Fairs". Hauser & Wirth.
  26. ^ "Uman". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2023-12-07.
  27. ^ "Uman at Eleni Koroneou Gallery – Art Viewer". 2022-11-22. Retrieved 2023-12-07.

Further reading

External links

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