WOODY DE OTHELLO
b. 1991, United StatesWoody De Othello is a Miami-born leading contemporary artist celebrated for transforming ordinary objects into anthropomorphic ceramic, bronze, and painted works that explore emotion, spirit, and the experience of home.
In 2025, the artist was celebrated in his hometown with the opening on 13 November of ’Woody De Othello: coming forth by day’ at Perez Art Museum Miami. In the show De Othello presented a new series of ceramic, wood, tile wall works, as well as a large-scale bronzes, with the show running over Art Basel Miami and beyond.
Early Life and Background
Born in Miami, Florida in 1991, De Othello’s formative years in South Florida profoundly shape his practice today. He draws from his Haitian heritage, as well as his upbringing amidst the region’s diverse cultural influences. De Othello earned his BFA from Florida Atlantic University before relocating to California, where he completed an MFA at California College of the Arts in 2017. He currently lives and works in Oakland, California, whilst maintaining a strong connection to Miami.
Woody De Othello Artworks
Woody De Othello’s artworks animate domestic objects—fans, clocks, faucets—with a sense of psychological presence and spiritual resonance. Drawing on African diasporic traditions, animist philosophies, and modern craft, De Othello hand-builds sculptures whose exaggerated forms and tactile glazes imbue everyday things with poignant subjectivity.
Seminal Artworks and Developments
- Breathing Room (2019), San José Museum of Art, expanded his interest in the connections between body and home, drawing widespread institutional attention to his approach.
- In 2024, Faith Like a Rock at Stephen Friedman Gallery, London, saw De Othello further fuse ceramic and painting, with recurring corporeal motifs and layered narrative symbolism.
- coming forth by day, his solo exhibition at Pérez Art Museum Miami in 2025, marked his first major museum show in his hometown. De Othello debuted new ceramics, mosaic wall works, and a monumental bronze sculpture, using clay-painted walls and scent to create a ritualistic, immersive environment exploring themes of protection, transformation, and ancestral spirit.
Collections
De Othello’s artwork is held in major institutional collections including Pérez Art Museum Miami, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Whitney Museum of American Art, and Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
Woody De Othello Exhibitions
De Othello has been the subject of important art exhibitions, including:
- 2025: c_oming forth by day_, Pérez Art Museum Miami, Miami, Florida
- 2025: Tuning the Dial, Karma, Los Angeles, California
- 2024: Faith Like a Rock, Stephen Friedman Gallery, London, United Kingdom
- 2022: Maybe tomorrow, Karma, New York, New York
- 2021: Looking In, Jessica Silverman, San Francisco, California
- 2020: Coming to Light, Nina Johnson, Miami, Florida
- 2020: The Box, Pippy Houldsworth Gallery, London, United Kingdom
- 2019: To live in hope, Karma, New York, New York
- 2019: Breathing Room, San José Museum of Art, San José, California
His work has also been included in group exhibitions at art museums and other institutions, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum, de Young Museum (San Francisco), and Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami, among others.
Woody De Othello’s Website and Instagram
Woody De Othello’s website can be found here, and his Instagram can be found here.
More Reading
De Othello’s practice has been profiled in leading magazines, including Ocula Magazine. You can read articles about Woody De Othello here. You can follow the artist on Ocula to be updated when new articles are published.
Woody De Othello FAQs
Who is Woody De Othello?
Woody De Othello is a Miami-born, Oakland-based contemporary artist known for his large-scale ceramics, bronzes, paintings, and immersive installations exploring emotion, domesticity, and spirituality. You can follow Woody De Othello on Ocula to learn more about his work, find out about art for sale, contact his galleries, and keep up to date with upcoming exhibitions.
Where can I see work by Woody De Othello?
You can see Woody De Othello’s work at major museums such as Pérez Art Museum Miami and San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, as well as at his representing galleries including Karma, Jessica Silverman, and Stephen Friedman Gallery. You can follow Woody De Othello on Ocula to receive alerts on upcoming exhibitions by the artist.
Are there any lesser known and interesting facts about Woody De Othello?
Woody De Othello’s practice draws on Haitian spiritual traditions and the concept of nkisi, infusing the everyday with ritualistic energy and significance. He is also known for incorporating elements like scent and sound into his installations. You can follow Woody De Othello on Ocula to receive alerts on news about the artist.
Where does Woody De Othello live?
Woody De Othello lives and works in Oakland, California.
How is Woody De Othello’s name pronounced?
Woody De Othello is pronounced ‘Woo-dee Dee Oh-thel-lo’.
Where can I buy Woody De Othello’s work?
Woody De Othello’s has been represented by leading contemporary art galleries including Karma, Jessica Silverman Gallery, and Stephen Friedman Gallery. You can explore Ocula to find out which Ocula galleries represent the artist and enquire directly about buying art by Woody De Othello and follow him and his gallery to keep up to date. You can also get in touch with Ocula’s art advisory team to find out more about buying or selling work by Woody De Othello.
What are the main materials Woody De Othello works with?
Woody De Othello artworks predominantly with hand-built clay, bronze, wood, and paint.
What major museums hold works by Woody De Othello?
Woody De Othello artworks are held in the collections of Pérez Art Museum Miami, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Whitney Museum of American Art, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and Dallas Museum of Art.
Ocula | 2025
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Woody De Othello in Ocula Magazine
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