Magdalene Odundo: Difference between revisions

| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1950}}

Odundo's best-known ceramics are hand built, using a coiling technique. Each piece is burnished, covered with slip, and then burnished again. The pieces are fired in an oxidizing atmosphere, which turns them a red-orange. A second firing in an oxygen-poor (reducing) atmosphere causes the clay to turn black; this is known as reduction-firing.<ref name="source 1">{{cite book|last1=Birmingham Museum of Art |title=Birmingham Museum of Art: A Guide to the Collection |publisher=Giles |year=2010 |location=London |pages=80 |url=http://www.birminghammuseumstore.org/bmapu.html |accessdateaccess-date=2011-06-24 |isbn=978-1-904832-77-5 |deadurlurl-status=yesdead |archiveurlarchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110910171150/http://www.birminghammuseumstore.org/bmapu.html |archivedatearchive-date=2011-09-10 |df= }}</ref> She uses the same types of techniques used by the Ancient Greeks and Romans and likes to take inspiration from countries likesuch as China and Mexico.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Joris|first1=|title=Magdalene Odundo|date=1994|publisher=|page=7}}</ref> Her graphic design skills still remain with her as she often sketches her interest in natural forms and the design of form to help her with her ceramic creations.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Joris|first1=|title=Magdalene Odundo|date=1994|publisher=|page=45}}</ref> Many of the vessels Odundo creates are reminiscent of the human form, often following the curves of the spine, stomach, or hair.<ref name="source 1" /> Furthermore, the shape of expression of her vessels are symbolic of the female body; one of her most famous pieces is a black and ocher vessel with a curved base and elongated neck resembling the form of a pregnant woman. Her work is now a part of permanent collections of nearly 50 international museums including:

== ArtisticRecognition Legacyand honours ==

Odundo was awarded the African Art Recognition Award by [[Detroit Institute of Arts]] in 2008, and the African Heritage Outstanding Achievement in the Arts award in 2012, together with honorary doctorates from the [[University of Florida]] (2014) and [[University of the Arts London]] (2016).<ref>[http://www.arts.ac.uk/study-at-ual/awards-ceremonies/honorary-awards-2016/ "Honorary Awards 2016"], UAL.</ref> She was appointed an [[Officer of the Order of the British Empire]] (OBE) for services to Artart in the [[2008 Birthday Honours|Queen's Birthday Honours 2008]].<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=58729 |date=14 June 2008 |page=12 |supp=y }}</ref> and [[Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] (DBE) in the [[2020 New Year Honours]] for services to art and arts education.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=62866|supp=y|page=N8|date=28 December 2019}}</ref>

Odundo has been recognized as a significant player in contemporary ceramics, making her name a large contributor to African Art in the US during the 90's1990s. As saidobserved by [[Gus Casely-Hayford|Augustus Casely-Hayford]], "[She draws] on something of the wisdom and experience of the Leach, or a line borrowed from ancient European antiquity, to create a trans-global, trans-temporal visual system of her own; modern, yet simultaneously old, African yet resolutely European..."<ref name=":0" />

In 2017 it was announced that Odundo would take up the role of Chancellor of the [[University offor the Creative Arts]] from June 2018.<ref>Wanjohi, John, [http://www.mwakilishi.com/article/diaspora-news/2017-09-20/prof-odundo-named-chancellor-of-univ-of-creative-arts "Kenyan-Born Prof Magdalene Odundo NamedChancellorNamed Chancellor of UK's University of Creative Arts"], mwakilishi.com, 20 September 2017.</ref>

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[[Category:OfficersDames Commander of the Order of the British Empire]]