Onyedika Chuke is an artist and archivist living and working in New York.
His largest body of work titled The Forever Museum Archive (2011-present), is a disquieting collection of objects, text and images in which Chuke analyze social, cultural and political structures. His practice have been supported by venues such as Queens Museum, Sculpture Center and The American Academy in Rome.
Chuke is currently a New York City Public Artist in Residence (P.A.I.R). A position that places him in the offices of Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) and Department of Corrections (DOC) Rikers Island. His work as a P.A.I.R artist entails collaborating with individuals on Rikers Island facing extreme challenges to alleviate the negative impact of criminal punishment, create access to art, and to open dialogue between New York City policymakers and those in their custody. In addition, he is researching specific architecture and historical landscape that has shaped New York City's penological system.
He is a graduate of The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art (2011).
Education
2017 Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, ME
2011 BFA The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Art and Science, NY
Awards, Grants and Residencies
2019 The Shed Open Call New Commissions, The Shed, NY
Bronx Museum AIM Residency, 80 White Street, NY
2018-2019 New York City Public Artist in Residence, Department of Cultural Affairs, NY
2016-2018 Open Sessions Fellowship, The Drawing Center, NY
2017 Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture Fellowship, ME
2016-2017 Emerging Artist Fellowship, Socrates Sculpture Park, NY
Artist in Residence, Pioneer Works, NY
2014-2016 Open Sessions Residency, The Drawing Center, NY
2016 In Practice Fellowship, Sculpture Center, NY
2013-2015 Queens Museum Studio Program, Queens Museum, NY
2015 Special Project and Commission, The American Academy in Rome, Italy
2014 Research Travel Residency, Residency Unlimited, Auvergne, France
2013 Residency Unlimited/Maria Casita Residency, Brooklyn NY
BRIO Award, Bronx NY
Wave Hill Van Lier Artist Fellowship, Bronx NY
Wave Hill Winter Workspace Residency, Bronx NY
2012 Bronx Museum Artists in The Marketplace, Bronx NY
Verbier 3D Art Residency/Public Art Commission Verbier, Switzerland
2011 Vena T. Carroll Award from The Cooper Union
Travel Scholarship, Tripoli, Sabratha and Sabha, Libya
2010 Michael F. Roberti Scholar for The Cooper Union
Study Abroad, Chelsea College, London, United Kingdom
Yale University/Norfolk Art Residency, Norfolk CT
2009 Palmer Hayden Artist Travel Grant
2008 Yip Harburg Foundation Grant
Public Sculpture Commissions
2016
The Forever Museum Archive: The Untitled_A Template for Memorial Landscapes_ circa_2000s
Socrates Sculpture Park, NY
2015
The Forever Museum Archive:The Untitled_1919
The American Academy in Rome, Italy
2012
The Forever Museum Archive: Dome and Double Nymph_A Template For Spiritual Architecture
Verbier Sculpture Park, Switzerland
Selected Exhibitions
2018
FMA: The Untitled/Circa_1968_Part 1, Spring/Break 2018, New York, NY
FMA: _5, Cuchifritos Gallery + Project Space, New York, NY
2016
Fantasy Can Invent Nothing New, The Sculpture Center, Queens NY
Emerging Artists Fellowship Exhibition, Socrates Sculpture Park, Queens NY
Art Basel Miami, Magazzino Arte Moderna, Miami, FL
Art Basel Switzerland, Magazzino Arte Moderna, Basel Switzerland
The Armory Show, Magazzino Arte Moderna, New York NY
2015
Nero su Bianco, Curated by Robert Storr, Peter Miller and Lyle Ashton Harris, The American
Academy in Rome, Rome Italy
Name It by Trying to Name It, The Drawing Center, New York NY
Open Sessions 6, The Drawing Center, New York NY
Queens Museum Studio Program Exhibition, Queens NY
Bronx Courthouse Project, curated by Ragine Basha, Bronx NY
Drawing in Space/Context, Queens Museum
2014
FMA:The Untitled, Inextenso, Auvergne, France
2013
FMA:The Untitled, Brixton Project Space, London United Kingdom
Van Lier Fellowship Exhibition, Wave Hill, Bronx NY
Bronx Calling, Bronx Museum Biannual, Bronx NY
2012
Smoke Signals: Istwa, Paisajes and Allegories curated by William Cordova, South Florida Art
Center, Miami FL
Ways of Seeing, Public Art Commission, Verbier 3D Foundation, Verbier Switzerland
2011
New Prints 2010, Visual Arts Center, University of Texas, Austin TX
The Forever Museum: Intro to Site 17, The Cooper Union, New York NY
2010
New Prints 2010 Benefit and Auction, International Print Center New York, New York NY
Norfolk Works, Yale University, New Haven CT
New Prints 2010, International Print Center New York, New York NY
UAL Exhibition, Bristol Diving School, Bristol, United Kingdom
Objects, Space and Mass, Gowns, Berlin, Germany
2009
Lorem Ipsum Dolor Sit Amet, Leroy Neiman Center for Print Studies, Columbia University, New
York NY
Shrines and Masquerades, East Washington Square Gallery, New York NY
2007
Good Shepherd Benefit, CRG Gallery, New York NY
Post Millennium Black Madonna: Paradise and Inferno, Curated by Wangechi Mutu, MoCada
Museum, Brooklyn NY
2006
Music to My Eyes Tabla Rasa Gallery, Brooklyn NY
Proverbs curated by Melvin Marshall, Pounder-Kone Art space, Los Angeles CA
Silence, F.F.T Gallery, Brooklyn NY
Bibliography:
2019
ElGenaidi, Deena. “A Short Film Reflects On a Teenager’s Time at Rikers Island.” Hyperallergic. Feb, 6.
Durón, Maximilíano. “Park Avenue Armory to Partner with Studio Museum in Harlem on ‘Culture in a Changing America’ Symposium.”
ARTnews. Jan, 14.
2018
Saltz, Jerry. “2018 Top ten Shows in New York List.”
New York Magazine. Dec, 6.
Small, Zachary. “52 Emerging Artists Create Work for Highly Anticipated NYC Culture Center Opening in 2019.”
Hyperallergic. October 16.
Staff Writer. “New York's the Shed Commissions Fifty-Two Artists to Create Work in 2019.”
ARTFORUM International. October 9.
Rodney, Seph. “Watering the Imagination at the Spring Break Art Show.” Hyperallergic. March, 8.
Vartanian, Hrag. “Spring Break Is an Oasis for Art Fair Haters.”
Hyperallergic. March, 7.
Brehmer, Debra. “Envisioning Inclusive, Soulful Spaces for Artists.”
Hyperallergic. March, 1.
Morgan, Tiernan. “Art Movements.”
Hyperallergic. Jan, 26.
Chow, Andrew R. “Beyond Murals: New York Picks 4 Artists in Residence to Tackle Social Issues.”
The New York Times. Jan, 23.
Battaglia, Andy. “Four New Public Artists in Residence Appointed by NYC Department of Cultural Affairs.”
ARTnews. Jan, 23.
Stiber, Mary, Ph.D. Classical Refelections: Onyedika Chuke is Rome,
OSMOS Magazine. January.
2017
Uszerowicz, Monica. “In Miami's Little Haiti, a Fair Spotlights Artists of the African Diaspora.”
Hyperallergic. Jan 18.
2016
Enderby, Emma. The Forever: Onyedika Chuke.
Pioneer Works Journal.
Umaña, Kevin. “Editors’ Picks: 10 Art Events to See in New York This Week.” Artnet. September, 19.
Scher, Robin. “Socrates Sculpture Park Announces 2016 Emerging Artist Fellowship Winners.”
Art News. July, 12.
2015
Steinhauer, Jillian. “In the Bronx, a Pop-up Art Show Is a Lightning Rod for Fear of Gentrification.”
Hyperallergic. July, 13.
Taiuti, Lorenzo. “Arte e multiculturalità. Una mostra all’American Academy.”
Art Tribune. June, 14.
Amore, Maurizio. “American Academy in Rome, mostra, Nero su Bianco.”
La Stampa. May, 30.
Polacco, di Francesca. ““Nero su bianco”, il tema dell’integrazione sociale nell’Italia contemporanea interpretato da 27 artisti.”
IlFattoQuotidiano. Jan, 9