Derek Fordjour facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Derek Fordjour
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| Born | 1974 (age 50–51) |
| Education | Morehouse College, Harvard University, Hunter College |
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Derek Fordjour (born 1974) is an American artist and teacher. His family comes from Ghana. He creates art using many different forms, like collage, video, sculpture, and painting. Derek Fordjour lives and works in New York City.
Contents
Early Life and Learning
Derek Fordjour was born in 1974 in Memphis, Tennessee. His parents moved to the United States from Ghana.
Fordjour studied art and education at several well-known universities. He earned a special art degree from Hunter College. He also received a degree in Arts Education from Harvard University. Before that, he earned a bachelor's degree from Morehouse College. Fordjour is also a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. This group asked him to create a portrait called An Experiment in Brotherhood. This painting celebrates the start of their fraternity.
His Art Career
Derek Fordjour is a respected artist and teacher. In 2020, he became the Alex Katz Chair at Cooper Union. Since 2018, he has also been a main art critic at Yale University School of Art. This means he helps students at Yale improve their art.
Art and Social Issues
In 2014, Fordjour started using sports pictures in his art. He used these images to talk about unfairness in society. Sports became a way for him to show how some people have more chances than others.
In 2020, he created a series of artworks called "Shelter." He made these pieces while staying home during the COVID-19 pandemic. The "Shelter" artworks explored ideas of safety and being stuck inside.
Art in China
In 2021, Fordjour had his own art show in Shanghai, China. His paintings there looked at how social rules can feel like a game. He also showed how people can be vulnerable. In these paintings, Fordjour used layers of the Financial Times newspaper. He explained that he used this paper because of its special color. He liked the idea of trying to stand out when people might try to put you into a group.
Public Art and Exhibitions
Fordjour's art has been shown in many places. These include the Contemporary Art Museum in St. Louis (2020) and the Whitney Museum of Contemporary Art (2018–2019). He has also created art for public spaces. One of his permanent artworks is at the 145th Street Subway Station in New York City. He also created a billboard project for the Whitney Museum in 2018.
Personal Life
Derek Fordjour married LaChanze Sapp-Gooding in 2005. They later separated in 2013 and divorced in 2014.
In July 2022, Fordjour married Alexis Hoag-Fordjour. Their wedding took place at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in Manhattan.
Awards and Collections
Fordjour has received several awards for his art. He was an artist-in-residence at the Sugarhill Museum in 2016. He also received the Sharpe Walentas Studio Program in 2017. In 2018, he won the Deutsche Bank NYFA Fellowship Award.
His artworks are part of many important art collections. These include the Studio Museum in Harlem, the Brooklyn Museum, the Pérez Art Museum Miami, and the Whitney Museum. His art can also be found at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
Select Exhibitions
- 2020, 'SELF MUST DIE', Petzel Gallery, New York, NY
- 2020, 'SHELTER', Contemporary Art Museum of St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
- 2019: 'The House Always Wins', Josh Lilley, London, UK
- 2019: 'JRRNNYS', Night Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
- 2018 'Half Mast', the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY
- 2018: 'Derek Fordjour: Camelot Study', BAM, Brooklyn, NY
- 2018 'Ritual', Nina Johnson Gallery, Miami, FL
- 2017 'PARADE', Sugar Hill Museum, New York, NY
- 2016: 'Agency and Regulation', LUCE Gallery, Turin, Italy
- 2016: 'Eight Paintings', Papillion Art, Los Angeles, CA
- 2015 'UPPER ROOM', Robert Blumenthal Gallery, New York, NY
Images for kids
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Derek Fordjour, an American artist and educator.
