Page 63 - ART GIANTS issue of World of Art (WOA) Contemporary Art Magazine

Executed in acrylic latex paint, Songs from Life explores themes
of freedom, transformation, and connection. Odita’s artistic
ODILI DONALD ODITA: philosophy embraces a broad spectrum of cultural influences,
from African and Western aesthetics to contemporary
SONGS FROM LIFE architecture and design. His compositions use rhythm and
pattern to evoke introspection and emotional resonance.
Music plays a fundamental role in the artist’s practice, guiding
his creative decisions and fostering a sense of communal
The Museum of Modern Art proudly presents Odili Donald energy. The installation is punctuated by selections from a
Odita: Songs from Life, a dynamic site-specific commission that diverse array of musicians, including Led Zeppelin, Michael
will transform the Museum’s main lobby into an immersive Jackson, Marvin Gaye, Talking Heads, Bill Withers, and Fela
work of art. Opening on April 8, 2025, and on view through Anikulapo Kuti, each contributing to the conceptual foundation
the year, this ambitious project will envelop the space in of the work.
vivid, interwoven planes of color, reflecting Odita’s signature
approach to abstraction. From February to April, Odita and Odili Donald Odita (b. 1966, Enugu, Nigeria) is an acclaimed
his team will actively create the installation, allowing visitors abstract painter based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A
to witness the artistic process firsthand during public hours. graduate of Ohio State University (BFA) and Bennington College
Guests will also have the opportunity to engage with the work (MFA), Odita has been a professor of painting at Tyler School
through a curated playlist, accessible via QR code, featuring of Art at Temple University since 2006. His work has been
songs that served as inspiration for the piece. exhibited in major institutions across the United States and
Curated by Ugochukwu-Smooth Nzewi, The Steve and Lisa internationally, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the
Tananbaum Curator in the Department of Painting and Venice Biennale, the Pérez Art Museum, and the Brooklyn
Sculpture, alongside Elizabeth Wickham, Curatorial Assistant, Museum. His large-scale commissions continue to redefine
this commission marks Odita’s largest project to date at MoMA. public spaces through bold, expressive color and intricate
Drawing from traditions in abstract painting, African and African geometric designs.
The Museum of Modern Art | MoMA PS1 American textile designs, and indigenous Nigerian mural art,

the artist reimagines the Museum’s lobby as a vibrant gathering
space, a convergence of music, color, and human experience.
Installation view of Odili Donald Odita: Songs from Life, on view at The
Museum of Modern Art from April 8, 2025 – April 2026. The Museum of
Modern Art, New York. Digital Image © 2025 The Museum of Modern Art,
New York. Photo by Jonathan Dorado.

WORLD of ART 63