Meet the artists by Art Basel x NOWNESS
In his San Francisco Bay Area studio, Woody De Othello reflects on clay, ancestry, and the quiet psychology of objects. Born in Miami to Haitian parents, the American multidisciplinary artist breathes life into ceramics, bronze, and wood, transforming everyday items into vessels of emotion and memory.
Telephones, mirrors, clocks – in De Othello’s world, they seem to breathe, animated by human presence. By enlarging and distorting these familiar forms, he explores the psychology of space and the subtle energy that objects hold, creating works that are both humorous and contemplative.
“I don’t want to make something because someone expects it,” says De Othello. “I want to make something because I want to see what happens if it is made.”
In this episode of Meet the artists, presented by Art Basel and NOWNESS, the artist opens his Oakland studio and takes us on a walk through Northern California’s redwood forests. His practice reveals a balance between the additive nature of ceramics and the subtractive process of wood carving – a duality that mirrors his reflective approach to life and art.
Represented by Jessica Silverman (San Francisco) and Karma (Los Angeles, New York), De Othello’s upcoming exhibition “Coming forth by day” will open on November 13, 2025, at the Pérez Art Museum Miami featuring new works in ceramic, wood, tile, and bronze.
🎥 Video: NOWNESS x Art Basel – Meet the artists: Woody De Othello
