Bard College's Hessel Museum in New York will open a survey exhibition on Saturday, June 27, 2026, featuring the vibrant, large-scale paintings of self-taught artist Uman.
The exhibition highlights her intricate, technicolor works that reflect a journey from Somalia to upstate New York.
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Artist's Background
Uman, 45, who identifies as transgender, drew early inspiration from colorful traditional dresses and international fashion magazines in her hometown of Mogadishu.
Her family fled the Somali civil war when she was nine, moving to Kenya and later Denmark before she arrived in New York City in the early 2000s.
In New York, Uman developed an intuitive style using heavily patterned acrylics and spray paint. She initially sold her artwork in Union Square while working various odd jobs.
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Her career gained significant traction with a solo debut at White Columns in 2015 and a prominent gallery showcase in 2022.
Current Work and Influence
For the past six years, Uman has operated out of an 8,000-square-foot studio in Albany while living on a nearby farm.
Her current rural lifestyle deeply influences her abstract, grid-like landscape paintings, including the featured piece "Sumac Tree in Roseboom."
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The exhibition at Hessel Museum offers a comprehensive look at Uman's evolution, from her early influences in Somalia to her mature works inspired by upstate New York.
