Cali DeWitt is a multidisciplinary artist and eclectic instigator. Following in traditions of Barbara Kruger, Jenny Holzer, and Ed Ruscha, Cali Thornhill DeWitt’s works, zines, artist books, prints, photographs, music videos and sweatshirts often pair provocative imagery culled from the internet with word plays lifted from news headlines, spam mail, advertising slogans, street lingo, mundane phrases and a myriad of other influences. Inspired by the direct, quickly understood images that flood today’s media DeWitt’s unexpected juxtapositions offer a social critique using the universally understood language of mass communication. Dewitt’s practice captures the essence of the millennial generation: an acute social awareness driven by a dissatisfaction with the inequalities and self-sabotaging tendencies of the human race. Yet, through his deeply critical and thoughtful work, Dewitt presents—ironically—a promising form of hope and optimism: a sentiment suggesting that if we are prepared to learn from the worst of the world, then there is endless potential to change it.
Born 1973 in Vancouver Island, Canada
Lives and Works in Los Angeles
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2022
Cali Dewitt-Live Forever 2, HVW8 Art + Design Gallery, Berlin Germany
2021
Cali Dewitt- Live Forever (2010 - 2020), HVW8 Art + Design Gallery, los Angeles, USA
2020
TOKYO OLYMPICS, Gallery COMMON, Tokyo, Japan
2019
WAR SONG, V1 Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark
2018
Global Warming, Muddguts, New York, USA
Going To California, Stems Gallery, Brussels, Belgium
2017
Safe Words, Karma International, Los Angeles, USA
2016
29 Flags, Eighteen, Copenhagen, Denmark
2015
Busted On The Hot Spots, V1 Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark
This Magic Moment, Farewell Books, Austin, USA
Sex Comedy, Galerie Derouillon, Paris, France
Night Light, Art Central, Hong Kong
2014
It’s Hard To Be A Stand Up Guy In A World Of Sit Down People, Big Love, Tokyo, Japan
24 Hour Fantasy Reality w/ Audrey Wollen, Human Resources, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Graveyard, Muddguts, Brooklyn, New York, USA
2013
Los Angeles Times, Big Love, Tokyo, Japan
War News, with Jenna Thornhill, Good Press, Glasgow, UK
2012
This Natural World, Family, Los Angeles, CA, USA
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2022
V1 XX - Twenty years of V1 Gallery, V1 Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark
2020
MINE IV, V1 Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark
2019
MINE III, V1 Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark
2018
Good Taste, 393 NYC, 393 Broadway, New York, US
2017
Tomorrow’s Man, Jack Pierson Regen Projects, Los Angeles, US
Safe Words, Karma International, Los Angeles, US
2016
The Neon Wilderness: Voices from Los Angeles, The Conversation, Berlin, DE
Raw Power, Castor Gallery, New York, US
Lay Down And Let It Blow Through You, Kodama Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
Take Me Down, BBQLA, Los Angeles, US
2015
Under Heavy Manners, V1 Gallery, Copenhagen, DK
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
2019
WAR SONG (exhibition catalogue), published by Trojan Horse Press/V1 Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark
2018
Let Me Crash Here For A Moment, Kanye West Saint Pablo Tour, published by Trojan Horse Press / V1 Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark
2017
Manhattan, published by Trojan Horse Press / V1 Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark
First Show, self-published, Los Angeles, US
Violent Music, New York, USA
29 Flags(book), published by At Last Books, Copenhagen, Denmark
2016
29 Flags (exhibition catalogue), published by Trojan Horse Press / V1 Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark
Over The Volcano, published by Corpo Earth Burglar Press, New York, US
2015
New Rose In Town, Published by Hesse Press, Los Angeles, US
The Magic Moment, Published by Farewell Books, Austin, Texas, US
Immortal Riddim, with Alexis Ross, Published by Heavytime Books, Australia
Hot Fire, with Misha Hollenbach, Published by Heavytime Books, Australia
2014
Graveyard, Published by And Press, New York, US
2013
White Girl, Published by MTHM Books, Copenhagen, Denmark
SELECTED ART FAIRS
2018
New York Art Book Fair, Long Island City, New York, US
2016
Art Herning, group presentation, V1 Gallery, Herning, Denmark
LA Art Book Fair, Los Angeles, California, US
New York Art Book Fair, Long Island City, New York, US
2015
LA Art Book Fair, Los Angeles, California, US
New York Art Book Fair, Long Island City, New York, US
Art Cologne, collaboration between V1 Gallery (DK) and The Hole (NYC), Cologne, Germany
VOLTA11, group presentation, V1 Gallery (DK), Basel, Switzerland
2014
LA Art Book Fair, Los Angeles, California, US
New York Art Book Fair, Long Island City, New York, US
New Art Dealers Alliance (NADA), solo presentation, Bill Brady Gallery (US), Miami Beach, Florida, US
2013
LA Art Book Fair, Los Angeles, California, US
New York Art Book Fair, Long Island City, New York, US
SELECTED COLLABORATIONS
Varg, album artworks
Kanye West, ongoing ceage (films, album artworks)
A Four Labs
Some Ware with Brendan Fowler
Neighborhood, collection
Anna Nicole Smith, billboard project with Guess