Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit: Karyn Olivier exhibition
Artist Biography
Karyn Olivier, born in Trinidad and Tobago (1968) and raised in Brooklyn, NY, is a multidisciplinary artist whose work spans sculptures, installations, and public art. Her practice engages with themes of erasure and memory, often focusing on historical movements and figures that have been marginalized or overlooked. Olivier’s work creates powerful monuments that bring these hidden stories to light, challenging views to reconsider their understanding of history.
Olivier's art is deeply informed by her diverse heritage and personal experiences, offering a nuanced perspective on the intersections of race, history, and identity. Her installations often feature large-scale, thought- provoking pieces that invite viewers to engage with complex social issues. Olivier's contributions to the art world are significant, as she continually pushes the boundaries of contemporary art through her innovative and impactful works.
Olivier received a BA from Dartmouth College and an MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art. She is currently a professor of sculpture at Temple University's Tyler School of Art and Architecture. Her work has been featured in numerous prestigious exhibitions, including the Whitney Biennial, Prospect.6 Triennial, and the Malta Biennale. She has received multiple awards and fellowships, such as the Anonymous Was a Woman Award, the Nancy B. Negley Rome Prize, and a John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship.
About the Exhibition
In Spring of 2026, the Museum of Contemporary Art Detoit (MOCAD) will present a solo exhibition of the work of Karyn Olivier. The 2024 Ellsworth Kelly Award will support this exhibition, curated by Jova Lynne, MOCAD's Co-Director and Artistic Director.
MOCAD's ambitious exhibition will include a range of installations and sculptures, and a newly commissioned site-specific work created by Olivier through her travels to Detroit to engage with local histories and gather materials. Olivier's exhibition at MOCAD will feature works that engage the ongoing contributions of Black communities and address their omission to expand historical narratives.
Working across the intersections of race, history, and identity, Olivier's monumental sculptures and public art often re-contextualize everyday objects, offering a new perspective on the familiar, historical, and commemorated. Her multidisciplinary approach to making is an act of social practice with the potential to build a more complex understanding of shared history.
Founded in 2006 and located in Detroit's Midtown cultural district, MOCAD is a non-collecting institution dedicated to presenting rotating exhibitions of new and experimental art. The museum focuses on art as a vehicle for social change and human understanding, presenting exhibitions and programs that explore contemporary art, and connect Detroit to the global art world. MOCAD encourages innovative experimentation by artists, musicians, makers, cultural producers, and scholars, aiming to educate visitors of all ages about the transformative power of art.
