RAKEEM CUNNINGHAM
Born 1992, Pacoima, CA
Lives and works in Los Angeles, CA
EDUCATION
2020 BFA Design + Media Arts, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2024 OCHI, Los Angeles, CA (forthcoming)
2022 Headcanon, OCHI, NADA, 75 E Broadway, New York, NY
2021 Hero, OCHI, Los Angeles, CA
2017 White Artists Don’t Have to Make Work About Racial Identity, Littman + White Galleries, Portland, OR
Our Body’s Matter, LA LGBT Center Advocate & Gochis Galleries, Los Angeles, CA
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2023 Queer Threads, curated by John Chaich, San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles, San Jose, CA (forthcoming)
Southeast Museum of Photography, Daytona State College, Daytona Beach, FL (forthcoming)
Love is Love: Queer Affection and Romance in Contemporary Art, Lehman College Art Gallery, City University of New York, Bronx, NY (forthcoming)
2022 Like a child or I go on the playground swings when no one’s around or giggle is such an embodied word (For Eloise Greenfield), curated by Daonne Huff, NADA Curated (online) 2020 Installation #000000, Track 16 Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Yesterday Tomorrow, Baik Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2019 THE GLITCH, curated by Haleigh Nickerson + Storm Ascher, Superposition Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
galleryOdd Ark Store, Odd Ark, Los Angeles, CA
Many, Many, Many Men, Little Tokyo Arts Complex (APEX Gallery), Los Angeles, CA Useless Man, Highways Performance Space, Los Angeles, CA
2018 Whew Chile the Ghetto, TAG Gallery Loft, Los Angeles, CA
In This Together: Embracing Diversity, Castelli Art Space, Los Angeles, CA Queer Art Show, Southbay LGBT Center, Torrance, CA
2017 Trans Professionals Champions Traveling Exhibition, Los Angeles, CA 2014 Holographic, New Wight Gallery, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA UCLA Undergraduate Exhibition, New Wight Gallery, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
2013 UCLA Undergraduate Exhibition, New Wight Gallery, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
SELECTED CURATORIAL PROJECTS
2020 Blackstract, TAG, Los Angeles, CA
Hard Concept, Soft Material, Ochi Projects, Los Angeles, CA
2019 Can We Live?, Monte Vista Projects, Los Angeles, CA
Wholly Coast, Curator/Juror, Monte Vista Projects
LA Open Exhibition Lead Curator – TAG Gallery
PROUD+ Exhibition Curator – The Studio Door, San Diego CA
Our Kitchen Table Installation, Fruitcake Queer Bazaar, Los Angeles, CA Other Places Art Fair (OPAF), Monte Vista Projects, Los Angeles, CA
QiPO 01 Art Fair, Monte Vista Projects, Mexico City, MX
Kronenboden of Berlin, Monte Vista Projects of Los Angeles and MADLAB of Rotterdam have partnered to present Call and Response, an exhibition of collaborative artworks for B-LA Connect
2018 LA Open Exhibition, Lead Curator, TAG Gallery, Los Angeles, CA 2017 Betty Sheinbaum, An Artist, Lead Curator, TAG Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
2021 Trouillot, Terence. “What to See During Los Angeles Gallery Weekend,” Frieze, Jul. 26 Berardini, Andrew. “Critics’ Pick: Rakeem Cunningham,” Artforum, Jul. 16 Bowie, Summer. “Rakeem Cunningham Presents Hero @ Ochi Projects in Los Angeles,” Autre, Jul. 16
Stromberg, Matt + Elisa Wouk Almino. “Your Concise Los Angeles Art Guide for July 2021,” Hyperallergic, Jul. 13
Preston Zappas, Lindsay. “Rakeem Cunningham at Ochi Projects,” KCRW Art Insider, Jul. 14
Davis, Melissa. “Rakeem Cunnningham Opens First Solo Show at Ochi Projects June 26,” Sugarcane Magazine, Jun. 24
Clayton, Dominique. “Jheyda McGarrell Wants To See A Communal Art Future,” Cultured Magazine, Jan. 4
2020 Holcomb, Shelley. “L.A.-based artist Rakeem Cunningham is the Main Character,” Curate.LA, Jul. 16
Turcotte, Maura. “TAG Gallery Rolls Out New Exhibitions,” Beverly Press, Jan. 23 2019 Henderson, Taylor. “Many Many Many Men Exhibits the Aftermath of Queer POC Relationships,” PRIDE, Dec. 13
Proenza, Javier. “Overwatch, Anime, and Comics – Rakeem Cunningham,” What’s My Thesis?, Nov. 12
Baumann, Sacha. “Rakeem Cunningham,” Full Blede, Iss. 10 (The Undertaking), Oct. Sepuya, Paul Mpagi. “The Art Issue,” VOGUE Ukraine, Aug.
Maximilian. “Krow Kian covers Vogue Ukraine August 2019 by Paul Mpagi Sepuya,” Fashionotography, Aug. 20
Davis, Genie. “Can We Live? At Monte Vista Projects,” Art and Cake, Aug. 22
OCHI WWW.OCHIGALLERY.COM
Cunningham, Rakeem. “Here’s How Eurocentric Beauty Standards Broke the Art World,” Out Magazine, Apr. 26
Otiono, George. “Rakeem Cunningham – Black, Colorful and Bootylicious,” Medium / Uncensored Visionary, Apr. 22
“Featured Artist,” Squarespace
“Meet the 23 Most Crushable Queer People of 2018,” INTO, Feb. 12
Corner, Lewis. “Grindr launches new Kindr campaign to stamp out sexual racism on its platform,” GAYTIMES
Pipes, Matthew. “What’s it like being a young queer black man in 2018?” GAYTIMES 2018 Davis, Genie. “Whew Chile the Ghetto: An Immersive Experience at TAG Gallery,” Diversions LA, Oct. 5
Thomas, Chris. “‘Whew Chile,’ Rakeem Cunningham Brought Ghetto to the Gallery,” Out Magazine, Sep. 20
Marie, Kathleen. “On the Cover: Meet Artist Rakeem Cunningham,” Portland Mercury, Feb. 14 “Dexter Mayfield,” GAYTIMES, May (cover)
Mothes, Kate. “Rakeem Cunningham,” yngspc views, Jan. 9
“Introducing…Rakeem Cunningham,” Loverboy
“Grindr Will Stop Profiles From Stating ‘No Fats, No Fems, No Asians,’” Gay Tourism, Sep. 18
“Jaboukie Young-White,” MASK Magazine (photos)
2017 “Barry Jenkins,” Fader Magazine (cover)
“TS Madison,” Fader Magazine (cover)
“Skai Jackson,” LadyGunn Magazine (cover)