$87.00
- Hardcover
272 pages
- Release Date
25 August 2026
Summary
This is the first comprehensive monograph on the work of the Somali-born, self-taught artist Uman, whose vibrant, abstract compositions fuse figuration, spirituality, and personal mythology. Known for her vivid color palettes, intricate patterning, and fluid, improvisational gestures, Uman’s work resists easy classification. Her paintings and drawings often emerge from meditative, intuitive processes, drawing from an internal landscape shaped by migration, queer identity, and a profound engagement with the artist’s own unconscious. At once formally rigorous and emotionally charged, her work is informed by a wide range of references—including East African textiles, Islamic calligraphy, nature, and dreams—resulting in compositions that pulse with life and layered meaning. This richly illustrated volume traces Uman’s extraordinary trajectory from her early life in Somalia and Kenya to her current studio practice in upstate New York. Featuring work made over the past 20 years along with newly commissioned essays, this book also includes selections of Uman’s personal photography, providing an intimate view into the artist’s life.
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781580937283 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 1580937284 |
| Author: | Lauren Cornell, Uman, Omar Jason Farah, Amber Jamilla Musser, Roberta Smith |
| Publisher: | Monacelli Press |
| Imprint: | Monacelli Press |
| Format: | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages: | 272 |
| Release Date: | 25 August 2026 |
| Weight: | 1.90kg |
| Dimensions: | 250mm x 290mm |
Critics Review
‘The first volume to fully illustrate and analyze Uman’s practice, reproducing nearly twice as many works as appear in the exhibition. The result is a substantial portrait of an artist whose career has developed outside many of the conventional routes into the contemporary art establishment.’ – Artdaily
Lauren Cornell
Uman
Born in Mogadishu, Somalia, in 1980, Uman has held solo exhibitions at Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Ridgefield, CT; Hauser & Wirth, London and Zurich; Nicola Vassell Gallery, New York; and White Columns, New York, among others. She lives and works in upstate New York.
Lauren Cornell
Lauren Cornell is artistic director of the Hessel Museum of Art, Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College.
Omar Jason Farah
Omar Jason Farah is curatorial assistant at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive.
Amber Jamilla Musser
Amber Jamilla Musser is a professor of English, Africana Studies, and Black, Race, and Ethnic Studies (BRES) at the CUNY Graduate Centre.
Roberta Smith
Roberta Smith is former co-chief art critic for the New York Times, where she worked for nearly forty years.
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