Odili Donald Odita is a Nigerian-American abstract painter, who currently lives and works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Odita was born in 1966 in Enugu, Nigeria, but after his family was forced to flee the country to avoid the Nigerian Civil War, they moved to the American Midwest. His vibrant work references historical and sociopolitical events, as well as his personal experience of living with two cultural identities. Odita’s geometric paintings are inspired by traditional Nigerian textiles and include references to modern art. Odita works primarily in painting, but also creates media and installation work. In 1998, he earned an ART/OMI International Art Residency. Since 2006, Odita is an Associate Professor of Painting at the Tyler School of Art at Temple University in Philadelphia. Odita received his Bachelor of Fine Art with distinction from Ohio State University, and his Masters of Fine Art, Bennington College, Vermont. His work has been featured in solo and group exhibitions internationally.
