Photo de profil de Dondi White.

DONDI WHITE

(Donal J. White - American)

1961 - 1998

Photo de profil de Dondi White.
Donald Joseph White also known as Dondi White, is a renowned American graffiti artist, born on April 7th 1961 in New York, internationally recognized for his dynamic lettering seen, for a time, on entire subway cars. Today he is considered a legend of Graffiti. He formed the group CIA in 1977 and rapidly took the New York scene by storm as its natural leader. The early 1980’s see the beginning of Dondi’s work on canvas, surrounded by icons of the East Village : Futura 2000 (Lenny McGurr) (American, born in 1955), Keith Haring (American, 1958 - 1990) and Jean-Michel Basquiat (American, 1960 - 1988). Dondi White masterfully translates the letters and symbolic icons that make up his urban sphere, in a strikingly intimate way. Having passed away on October 2nd 1998, his oeuvre has been exhibited in avant-garde art institutions such as the Groninger Museum in the Netherlands, the Fun Gallery in New York and the Musée des Monuments Français in Paris.

« I never was a graffiti writer artist even when I was active in the subway yards. I was a subway painter. A subway writer now that I do work on canvas. The work consists of high tech letters with ghetto based images (they are not graffiti paintings). If you must tittle my work it can only up under one title Dondism which is the state of Dondi. The composer of Dondism »


« I never had to compromise myself. It was always me, doing what was comfortable, and relaying the message that I didn’t have to be taught to be creative and do good things. I guess what I’m saying is that I’m here and I want to be heard. I come from the streets, I painted on subways, and I feel that my work is important. I want people to see it - I want to influence others »



« Dondism » - du 8 avril au 10 mai 2018 - Marseille.

    EDUCATION


    - High school GED



    SOLO EXHIBITIONS


    2018

    - Dondism, Retrospective, Ghost Galerie, Marseille, France, April 7th - May 10th (catalogue)


    1999

    - The Dondi White Memorial Exhibition, Exhibit 1A Gallery, New York, USA.


    1992

    - The Empire Show, Empire gallery, Soho, New York, USA.


    1987

    - Matter of Facts, 56 Bleecker Gallery, New York, USA, April 25th - May 23th.


    1984

    - Yaki Kornblit Gallery, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.


    1983

    - Yaki Kornblit Gallery , Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

    - Fun Gallery, New York, USA.

    - Gallery Art in Progress, Düsseldorf, Germany.

    - 51X Gallery, New York, USA.


    1982

    - Fun Gallery, New York, USA.

    - The Ugly Man, Six Gallery, New York, USA.



    GROUP EXHIBITIONS


    2022

    - Street Level, Artnet Auctions, New York, NY, USA.

    - New York Street Style : création des années 80 - Ghost Galerie, Paris, juillet - septembre.

    - Accrochage saisonnier, Ghost Galerie, Paris, France, Janvier-Juin


    2021

    - Nos Fantômes - exposition inaugurale, Ghost galerie, Paris, France, 10 Septembre - 20 Novembre.


    2013

    - Graffiti Art, Museum Tongerlohuys, Roosendaal, Netherlands.

    - Textures : The Written Word in Contemporary Art, ACA Galleries, New York City, USA, May 4th - June 15th.


    2012

    - Art & Toys - Collection Selim Varol, Me Collectors Room Berlin, Berlin, Germany, May 26th - October 14th.

    - Graffiti - New York 80's, Galerie Jérôme de Noirmont, Paris, May 27th - July 20th. (catalogue)


    2010

    - Graffiti NYC - Artists of the Third Rail, Benrimon Contemporary, New York, USA, July 25th - August 10th.


    2008

    - Graffiti Stories: l’Art Modeste sous les Bombes, Musée Paul Valéry en partenariat avec le Musée International des Arts Modestes, Sète, France, June 30th, 2007 - January 13th.


    2007

    - "Le Graffiti Historique", Musée Paul Valéry, Sète, France


    2006

    - No Sleep ‘till Brooklyn : A powerHouse Hip Hop Retrospective, The powerHouse Arena, Brooklyn, USA, September 5th - November 19th.


    2005

    - Frozen Fire, Museum Tongerlohuys, Roosendaal, Netherlands, April 17th - June 27th.


    1993

    - Celebrating 15 Years Above Ground, Retrospective, Space Time Light Gallery, New York, USA. (catalogue)


    1992

    - New York Graffiti Art : Coming from the Subway (Collection Speerstra), Groninger Museum, Groningen, Netherlands, October 4 - January 10. (catalogue)

    - Industry, Detroit, Michigan, USA.


    1991

    - Graffiti Art : Artiste Americans et Français 1981/1991 (Collection Speerstra), Musée des monuments Français Paris. (catalogue)


    1988

    - Real Paint, Procter Art Center, New York, USA.


    1987

    - Remembrances, Sfax Gallery, New York, USA.

    - 56 Bleecker Gallery, New York, USA.

    - Nassauischer Kunstverein, Wiesbaden, Germany.

    - Helmond Museum, Helmond, Netherlands.

    - Heidelberger Kunstverein, Heidelberger, Germany.


    1986

    - Graffiti, Leopold-Hoesch Museum, Germany, March 9th - May 4th. (catalogue)


    1985

    - New York Graffiti, Gemeentemuseum Helmond, Netherlands, February 10th - April 14th. (catalogue)

    - Gallozzi Laplaca Gallery, New York, USA.

    - Ronald Feldman Gallery, New York, USA.


    1984

    - Artist T-Shirts, Ronald Feldman Fine Arts Inc, New York, USA.

    - Galleria d’Arte Moderna, Bologne, Italie «Arte di Frontiera».

    - Artists from New York in Monte-Carlo, official opening of the gallery, Gallery Willem Speerstra, Monte-Carlo, Monaco, April 5 - June 20.

    - Graffiti, Groninger Museum. Groningen, Netherlands, January 14 - February 26 (catalogue)

    - Zurich Art Fair, Zurich, Switzerland.

    - Cologne 19th International Art Fair, Cologne, Germany, November 15 - 21.

    - Classical American Graffiti Writers and High Graffiti Artists, Galerie Thomas, Munich, Germany, February 6 - April 5. (catalogue).


    1983

    - New York Graffiti, Museum Boijmans-van Beuningen, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, October 22th - December 4th.

    - 121 Art Gallery, Antwerp, Belgium.

    - Gallery Piranesi, Zurich, Switzerland.

    - Intoxication, Monique Knowlton Gallery, New York, USA.

    - Seibu Gallery, Tokyo, Japan.


    1982

    - University of California, Santa Cruz, USA.

    - Burners, Mary Porter Sesnon Gallery, Santa Cruz, USA.

    - 51X Gallery, New York, USA.

    - Nature Morte Gallery, New York, USA.

    - New York City Rap Tour (with Rammellzee, Futura, PHASE2, DONDI), France: “Grande Nuit du Rap”, L'Hippodrome de Pantin; Palace. Paris, November 27, and other dates in Paris, Lyon, Metz, Belfort, Mulhouse, Strasbourg, London and Los Angeles.

    - The Ugly Man, Six Gallery, New York, USA.


    1981

    - New York/New Wave’, PS 1, Queens, New York, USA.

    - Beyond Words”, Mudd Club, New York, USA.

    - The Kitchen, New York, USA.

    - Club 57, New York, USA.


    1980

    - Esses Studio, founded by Dondi, New York, USA.


    PRIVATE COLLECTIONS


    - Museum Boymans van Bueningen, Holland.

    - Groninger Museum, Holland.

    - Louisiana Museum, Denmark.

    - Stedelijk Museum, Holland.

    - Rijks museum, Holland.

    - Stedeljik Museum, Holland.

    - Helmond Museum, Germany.

    - Leopold - Hoesch Museum, Germany.

    - Heidelberg Kunstverein, Germany.

    - Musée National des monuments Français, France.

    - Groninger Museum, Holland.

    - Roermond Museum, Holland.

    - Museum der Stadt Ratingen, Germany.

Past or Present