Born in 1985, Baltimore, MD. Lives and works between New York, Los Angeles, and Berlin.
EDUCATION
2009 B.F.A., Cooper Union, New York, NY
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2021
A Line, 52 Walker, David Zwirner space, New York, NY
Eurydice, Night Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2020
A Field, VCU Institute for Contemporary Art, Richmond, VA
2018
The Rivers of Styxx, Cooper Cole, Toronto, Canada
Eurydice, solo installation at EXPO Video, curated by Anna Gritz for EXPO Chicago, Chicago, NY
Eurydice, 219 Madison St., New York, NY
2017
Kandis Williams, Works On Paper, Vienna, Austria
2016
Soft Colony, Night Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Disfiguring Traditions, SADE, Los Angeles, CA
Inner States. St. Charles Projects, Baltimore, MD
2012
Red Square, OTTOZOO Project, Milan, Italy
2009
The Vesica Dialectic, Ficken 3000, Berlin, Germany
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2021
Critical Fabulabulations, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY
FETICHE, Curated by Ebony L. Haynes, Morán Morán, Mexico City
Illiberal Arts, Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin, Germany
STUDIO BERLIN, Berghain, Berlin, Germany
I Like LA and LA Likes Me: Joseph Beuys at 100, Track 16, Los Angeles, CA
Make-Shift-Future, curated by Elliott Hundley, Regen Projects, Los Angeles, CA
Shattered Glass, curated by Melahn Frierson and AJ Girard, Jeffrey Deitch, Los Angeles, CA
A Fire in My Belly, Julia Stoschek Collection, Berlin, Germany
2020
Made in L.A. 2020: a version, the Hammer Museum; The Huntington Library, Los Angeles, CA
Majeure Force, Night Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2019
These Creatures, Curated by Cindy Rehm, Wignall Museum of Contemporary Art, Rancho
Cucamonga, CA
Unsubscribe, curated by Vanna Juanita and Naiomy Guerrero, Supplement Projects, Miami, FL
Bliss, LAR, Mexico City, Mexico
2018
NADA Miami, presentation with Housing NY, curated by KJ Freeman, Miami, FL
Group Therapy, curated by Amanda Donnan, Frye Art Museum, Seattle, WA
GWTW, Martos Gallery, New York, NY
Ebo Club™, Shoot the Lobster LA, Los Angeles, CA
Tabel of Content, Articulo 123 No 116, Centro, Mexico City, Mexico
2017
To A Body, curated by Elisa R. Linn and Lennart Wolff, Shoot the Lobster, New York, NY
Suspensio, curated by Veronica Posth & Katalin Benigna Balázs, Kunstquartier Bethanien, Berlin,
Germany; Labor Gallery, Budapest, Hungary
Sad men on bad afternoons, curated by Daniel Fuller, Madison Avenue Park, Memphis, TN
True Lies, curated with Simon Cole, Night Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Lyric on a Battlefield, Gladstone Gallery, New York, NY
Gates of Hell, Arturo Bandini, Los Angeles, CA
Run off, exhaust, and other pressures, Big Medium, Austin, TX
2016
Disfiguring Traditions, SADE, Los Angeles, CA
Season Finale, werk LA, Los Angeles, CA
Memoirs of a Watermelon Woman, curated by Erin Christovale, One National Gay &
Lesbian Archives at the USC Libraries, Los Angeles, CA
2015
A Constellation, curated by Amanda Hunt, The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York, NY
Vestal Virgins, curated by Sylvie Lake, Historic Lummis Home, Los Angeles, CA
Charisma (performance with Wojciech Kosmas and Sarah Harrison), Important Projects, New
York, NY
Pane Per Poveri, Venice Biennale 2015, Atelier Douglas Gordon, Venice, Italy Stains in the
Cowshed, Neu West, Berlin, Germany
The Truth About Everything, Erratum Galerie, Berlin, Germany
KIK Four: Kino International Kunst #4, curated by Amir Fattal, Berlin, Germany
2014
The Oracle, with Ruby Neri, Khalil Joseph, & Henry Taylor, The Underground Museum, Los Angeles,
CA
Person, Place, Thing, 68 Projects, Berlin, Germany
2013
XOXO, Night Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
NOTEMPLE, The Breeder Systems, Athens, Greece
Indulgence, curated by Ben Spaulding, The Gym, Berlin, Germany Draft Urbanism: Biennial of the
Americas, Denver, CO
The Unknown, San Diego Space For Art, San Diego, CA
2012
One Day At A Time, Peres Projects, Berlin, Germany
Data Trash, I-20 Gallery, New York, NY
2011
Iko Iko, Torstrasse 95, Berlin, Germany
Why don’t you do right, Kunstraum Cafe Warschau, Berlin, Germany
2010
New Catalogue / Kandis Williams, New Capital Projects, Chicago, IL
Tape Modern No. 13, Tape Modern, Berlin, Germany
Grid of Life and selected Flat Files, Golden Parachutes, Berlin, Germany
LECTURES & PERFORMANCES
2021
D’Ateliers Artist Talk, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Critical Fabulations: Floor 2 Preview and Conversation, conversation between the
artist and Tourmaline with Stuart Comer, the Lonti Ebers Chief Curator of Media and
Performance, and Roxana Marcoci, Senior Curator, Department of Photography, The
Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY
New Publications, Project_Art_Distribution, Soho New York, NY
Kandis Williams in Conversation with Mohamed Wa Baile and Emmathegreat and Hamza
Walker, Luma Westbau, Zurich, Switzerland
2020
Panel discussion, organized by CAAM and Art + Practice, CAAM, Los Angeles, CA
Guest artist, TELETHON ForYourArt hosted by Tierney Finster, Frieze Los Angeles,
Los Angeles, CA
Library Services, organized by Acid-Free, Frieze Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
"Everywhere In L.A. Takes 20 Minutes,” a map project organized by ForYourArt, Frieze
Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Radical Pedagogies Dialogue with Johanna Breiding, EJ Hill, Dylan Mira, Litia Perta,
and Kandis Williams, ICA, Los Angeles, CA
Points of Access: Publishing with Artsblack, Cassandra Press and Smingsming Books,
Hosted by Art and Practice and The California African American Museum, CAAM,
Los Angeles, CA
Eurydice, screening followed by a conversation between the artist and musician Alex
Zhang Hungtai, Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, CA
2019
Kandis Williams | Guest Series, OCAD University, Toronto, Canada
Bodies Borders Fields Symposium, Toronto Media Arts Centre, Toronto, Canada Film
Screenings and Conversation: Carole Douillard and Kandis Williams with Amelia Jones, LACE, Los Angeles, CA
Eurydice, performed by Josh Johnson and Patrick Belaga, Blum & Poe, Los Angeles, CA
Eurydice, Orpheus, and the Maenads, with Bracha L. Ettinger, Josh Johnson, and Patrick Belaga, Fragile, Berlin, Germany
Kandis Williams: Fusing Ethics and Aesthetics, a question of what we owe to future generations: piracy, collage, redistribution and messy dissemination - the work of CASSANDRA PRESS, Pirate Care Conference at Coventry University, Coventry, England A
Conversation on Black Internet Theory, Sisters with Brothers, Navel, Los Angeles CA
Fusing Ethics and Aesthetics, the Work of CASSANDRA Press, Pogo Bar, Berlin, Germany
The New Internet Commons: Reader on Black Twitter – Effects of Web 2.0 on Blackness, organized by Cassandra Press, Navel LA, Los Angeles, CA
2018
Eurydice, part of “Tryptique” organized by Alex Zhang Hungtai as part of Red Bull Music
Festival Montreál, Gesú Cathedral, Montreál, Canada
Reproduction is not a Metaphor - Kandis Williams, Vancouver Art Book Fair, Emily Carr
University of Art + Design, Vancouver, Canada
A Woman’s Work: An Evening of Lectures and Performances organized by Rachel Kaadzi
Ghansah, MoMA, New York, NY
Eurydice, performed by Josh Johnson, Patrick Belaga, and Christine Stromberg, Navel LA, Los
Angeles, CA
Artist Talk, MFA Lecture Series, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA
2017
Semiosis Cataracts, curated by Alex Baczynski Jenkins, performed by Lina Venegas,
members of Gelatin, Stefan Dreher, and Florian Botka, Kevin Space, Vienna, Austria
Whereof One Cannot Speak, Therefore One Must Remain Silent, performed by Josh Johnson,
curated by Suzy Halaijan, LACE, Los Angeles, CA
As Much Truth as One Can Bear, Human Resources, Los Angeles, CA
Fountains, performed by Ligia Lewis, curated by Allison Littrell, as part of Between Nothing and
Infinity, Navel LA, Los Angeles, CA
White Squares, Black Boxes, artist lecture organized by Clara Lopes, CalArts, Valencia, CA
2016
Wit(h)nessing in Motion Workshop, with Josh Johnson, Human Resources, Aug 9, Los Angeles, CA
AFFECT:NETWORK:TERRITORY (A performance of syllogisms in motion), Human Resources, Aug
10-11, Los Angeles, CA
The Architecture of Ranting, workshop taught with Ligia Lewis, Meisterschule, Gillmeier Rech Gallery,
Berlin, Germany
2015
Charisma (performance with Wojciech Kosmas & Sarah Harrison), Important Projects, New York
The Wailing Rose, Pomona College, Los Angeles, CA; Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ; School
of Visual Arts, New York, NY
Public Rehearsal (performance with Wojciech Kosmas), Museum of Modern Art Warsaw, Poland, and
Schinkel Pavilion, Berlin, Germany
Collective Visions of Migrating Traums: A Talk with Kandis Williams, Pomona College Women’s Union,
Sept 27, Pomona, CA
Speaker, Symposium on Ettingerian Studies, Dublin, Ireland
2014
Artist talk, 68projects, Dec 20, Berlin
Surrealism Symposium, Boston College, Boston, MA
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
2021
Haus der Kulturen Der Welt Illiberal Arts Workshop - Workshop Instructor
2020-ongoing
Cassandra Classrooms - Instructor
2019-2021
California Institute of the Arts - Visiting Faculty
RESIDENCIES
2021
Cassandra Classrooms: Artist in Residence, Women’s Center for Creative Work, Los Angeles, CA
ICA AIR Residency: Cassandra Press Reading Room curated by Jamillah James
2016
ACEAIR Hotel Residency: During a night’s stay at Ace Hotel DTLA, Kandis williams created a Black + White Reader titled Culture of Fuccboi, Los Angeles, CA
SELECTED PRESS
2021
Conversation Chris Kraus and Hedi El Kholti, Lisa Pearson, and Kandis Williams, Leaders in the
Arts Publishing Edition, Gagosian Quarterly (forthcoming)
Pei-Ru Keh, “Ebony L Haynes shakes up tradition at David Zwirner’s new Manhattan outpost,”
Wallpaper, November 19
Johanna Fateman, “Kandis Williams,” The New Yorker, November 18
Kandis Williams, “The Archive Algorithm,” Kaleidoscope, November 15 (cover)
Siddhartha Mitter and Siobhan Burke, “Kandis Williams Envisions Dancing Bodies Without
Borders,” The New York Times, October 28
“Renée Green and Kandis Williams Share an Artistic Frequency”, Cultured Magazine, October
19
Legacy Russell, “Physical Apprehension Of Black Skin,” Mousse Magazine, October 8
Brooke Marine, "Tearing Down the Walls," W Magazine, September 17
“Kandis Williams - Notes on Dance,” Flaunt Magazine, issue 176, September
Allison Conner, "Kandis Williams's Flourishing Black Feminist Vision," Hyperallergic, July 28
Deborah Vankin, "Hammer Museum's $100,000 Mohn Award goes to Kandis Williams," Los
Angeles Times, July 15
Nicholas Nauman, “Whiteness as Property: Cassandra Press at LAXART”, Ocula, July 6
Ian Bourland, “Kandis Williams Unearths the History of US Extractive Labour,” Frieze, June 14
Francesca Gavin, “Against all odds,” GQ Style, May 28
Olamiju Fajemisin, Collective Learning with Cassandra Press, Frieze, April 21
Nicolas Trembley, “L’Artiste Du Mois Kandis Williams”, Numéro Magazine, April Issue
Janelle Zara, “Meet Artist Kandis Williams, Whose Poetic Work Has a Sharp, Cerebral, and
Radically Political Edge”, ArtNet News, March 5
Jan Tumlir, "Review: Made in L.A. 2020," Artforum, Jan/Feb
2020
Chloe Wayne and Mahfuz Sultan, “Interview: Artist Kandis Williams is Giving History a Hard
Read,” Pin-Up 29, Fall/Winter
Ted Gerike, “Works Form Ontology Vs The Ontic A Video Essay From Rhea Dillon And
Cassandra Press,” Nowinstant.Com, October
Brooke Marine, Cassandra Press Redefines the Way Black Critical Theory Is Taught, W
Magazine, September 2
Kandis Williams and Keith Rivers, “Sketchbooks and Some Thoughts on Cassandra: Prophetess
and Press,” LALA Magazine, Summer
Amanda Schmitt, "Notes from Quarantine: The Allegorical Activist," Texte zur Kunst, June 24
Perwana Nazif, Gallery Platform La, June 18
Editors, “ESSAYS Mousse 71: POWWOW,” Mousse Magazine, Spring
Hauser & Wirth, “Book Table: Pacific & Cassandra Press”, April
Hannah Black, “Openings: Kandis Williams,” Artforum, March
“Hammer Museum Reveals Artist List for 2020 Made in L.A. Biennial," Artforum, January 21
2019
Shana Nys Dambrot, “Performance Art Pick: Kandis Williams at Blum & Poe,” LA Weekly, August
16
Melissa Smith, “What It's like to Be One of the Few Black Students at an Elite Art School,”
ArtNet, June 27
Sarah Moroz, “Frieze New York is Back: The Artists You Don’t Want to Miss,” I-D, May 2
Melissa Smith, “Young Black Artists Are More in Demand Than Ever—But the Art World Is
Burning Them Out,” ArtNet, April 29
Candice Lin and Shana Lutker, "Conversation with Kandis Williams," X-TRA, Vol. 21, No. 3,
Spring
2018
Kevin McGarry, “Hedi Slimane Photographs a New Class of Los Angeles Artists,” Garage,
American Superstar, No. 14, February 2018
Cayal Unger, “Theory and Experience in the work of Kandis Williams: Cutting Edge Dissociation,”
Artillery, January 2
Allison Littrell, “Kandis Williams,” Third Magazine, January
WIlliam J. Simons, “30 Under 35: 30 Young Artist to Watch in 2018,” Cultured, September
2017
Christina Catherine Martinez, "Kandis Williams," Elephant, Fall
Emily McDermott, “10 Female Artists to Watch,” Elle Magazine (online), May 9
Andy Campbell, “Kandis Williams,” Artforum, February
2016
Jonathan Velardi, “Soft Colony: A Studio Visit with Kandis Williams,” Curate L.A., November 22
Maxwell Williams, “Bearing Wit(h)ness: The Art of Kandis Williams,” KCET, November 18
Claire de Dobay Rifelj, “Kandis Williams at SADE LA,” Carla Snap Reviews, July 14
2015
A Constellation, published by The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York. (Exhibition catalogue)
The truth about everything, published by Erratum Galerie, Berlin. (Exhibition catalogue)
Alison Hugill, “Stains in the Cowshed: Menstruation Made Public,” Berlin Art Link, May 29
2014
My Favorite Pyramid, Two Folio Edition, written by David Daegen with Drawings by Kandis
Williams, Broken Dimanche Press.
Catherine Wagley, “The Underground Museum’s New Exhibit Combines Contemporary Work with
Centuries-Old African Art,” LA Weekly, August 21
2013
MOUNTAIN #3 KANDIS WILLIAMS ISSUE, published by Hope / Mountain Editions, Autumn
Leftovers of Endurance, Nina Kurtela, Essay contribution, Motto Distribution, Berlin
Chris Kontos, “‘NOTEMPLE’, a Group Exhibition at The Breeder Gallery, Athens,” purple.fr, November
13
Renko Heuer, “Kandis Williams,” interview, Lodown Magazine, #88, Oct / Nov
“The Collage Artist Wades Through Printed Matter,” Flaunt Magazine, October 2
Parker Tilghman, “Dismembered Appendages: Kandis Williams,” ArtSlant, August 9
Helder Suffenplan, “Playing with Fire: Interview with Artist Kandis Williams,” Scentury, September
2012
Elizabeth Feder, “Studio Visit: Kandis Williams,” Berlin Art Link, August
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY
Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, CA
Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, CA
Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore, MD
Julia Stoschek Collection, Berlin, Germany
New Berlin Art Society, Berlin, Germany
CASSANDRA PRESS PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Museum of Modern Art Library, New York, NY
Whitney Museum Library, New York, NY
New Museum, New York, NY
KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin, Germany
Sunhaus
52 Walker Street, New York, NY
Harvard University of Fine Arts Library, Cambridge, MA
AWARDS
2021
The Mohn Award, honoring artistic excellence
Grants to Artists Award, Foundation for Contemporary Arts, New York