Victoria Udondian
Victoria, born in Lagos and currently based in New York, creates work that questions notions of cultural identity in relation to her experience of growing up in Nigeria and emigrating to the United States. She initially trained as a fashion designer, a path that marked her interest in textiles and the potential of clothing to shape a sense of identity. Informed by the history and meanings embedded in everyday materials, Victoria engages with repurposed fabrics and fibers to explore cultural boundaries. Udondian’s works have been exhibited internationally in Lagos, Venice, New York, and London, which include her participation in the inaugural Nigerian Pavilion at the 56th Venice Biennale, The Bronx Museum, the National Museum in Lagos, MASS MoCA, and the Fondazione di Venezia among others. Udondian received an MFA in Sculpture and New Genres from Columbia University, New York, attended Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture and a BA in painting from the University of Uyo, Nigeria.
A Guggenheim fellow and graduate from Columbia University, Victoria currently works as a faculty and distinguished visiting scholar in the Art Department at the University of Buffalo.
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2022, Victoria Udondian, Smack Mellon, Brooklyn, NY, United States
2019, Àdapé, South London Gallery, London, United Kingdom
2017, Aka uke? Unknown! Hudson D Walker Gallery, Provincetown, MA, United States
2017, Victoria-idongesit Udondian, Higgins Gallery, Cape Code College, MA, United States
2014, Tokunbo Pores, Villa Strauli Art Centre, Wintethur, Switzerland
2013, Green Badagry, Badagry Open Day, Lagos, Nigeria
2009: Victoria Udondian: Recent works, Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, Nigeria
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2021, Bronx Calling, Bronx Museum, New York, NY, United States
2017, PAAM group show, Provincetown Museum, MA, United States
2016: Kenedy and Udondian, Robert Blumenthal Gallery, New York, NY, United States
2016, Africa: In Fashion and Fabric, Bronx River Art Centre, New York, NY, United States 2015, Outside the Box, Nigerian Pavilion, 56th Venice Bienniale, Italy 2014, Society of Nigerian Artist 50 Exhibition, Omenka Gallery, Lagos, Nigeria
2012, Female Artist Exhibition, National Museum, Lagos, Nigeria
2011, Art enclosures, Casa dei Tre Oci, Venezia, Italy
2011, An Bè`Ba Bili, Andechshof , Innsbruck, Austria 2011, Energetic Women, King’s Theatre, Southsea, England 2010, Who is Wearing My T-shirt? Centre for Contemporary Art, Lagos, Nigeria
2009, Climate, Havant Arts, Havant, England 2006: Save the Child, National Gallery of Arts, Uyo, Nigeria
SELECTED PRESS
2021, The Bronx Museum Biennial: Artists grapple with constrains on creativity during Covid-19, The Art Newspaper
2017, Victoria Udondian fashions art out of fabric, Tal Zamir, Banner Newspaper, Provincetown
2016, For Udondian, Time to Think Outside the Box, Tajudeen Sowole, Guardian Nigeria
2014, The second Hand Museum, Orlando Rede, Art Base Africa
2012, We Face Forward: Contemporary Art and Music from West Africa, Charles Gore, Aesthetica Magazine
2011, Art Enclosure IV, Francesco Urbano, Fondazione Venezia
