Davina Semo

Exhibitions

Solo exhibitions

2024

2023

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

Group exhibitions

2023

The Sky's The Limit

October 21, 2023 – February 25, 2024

The contemporary sculptures in this exhibition dangle from the ceiling, cascade down walls, and extend far beyond their footprint on the gallery floor. Process-focused sculptures were pioneered by women creators in the mid-20th century, and they continually expand and redefine this medium.

Through the postwar years, curators and critics routinely ignored or minimized women’s innovations in sculpture, which included handwork, repetition, and unconventional materials. Today, scale and a focus on materiality are two techniques that sculptors use to achieve maximum impact. Monumentality expresses an artistic freedom for many makers. Artworks on view feature an array of found objects with strong cultural associations, including silver-plated vessels, hair combs, faux flowers, ostrich eggs, and parasols. Other works on view are composed from aluminum, blown glass, wool, paper, wire, and cedar wood.

Recent acquisitions and never-before-exhibited works by Sonya Clark, Beatriz Milhazes, Cornelia Parker, Mariah Robertson, Shinique Smith, and Joana Vasconcelos form the core of the exhibition. Several NMWA collection artists: Petah Coyne, Alison Saar, Davina Semo, Ursula von Rydingsvard, and Yuriko Yamaguchi, made available new works from their studios and connected the museum to private collections holding their art. Works by artists Rina Banerjee and Johanna Unzueta are on view at NMWA for the first time in The Sky’s the Limit.

From its opening in 1987, NMWA committed to collecting and exhibiting visionary sculpture by women. As the museum prepares to open the doors of its revitalized building, this exhibition expresses the museum’s dedication to illuminating artists’ illimitable impact and influence.
National Museum of Women's website

This Long Century: Beginners

September 1, 2023 – November 30, 2023

Anna Sew Hoy, Davina Semo, Haris Epaminonda, Jumana Emil Abboud, Lotus Laurie Kang, Maren Hassinger, Margaret Salmon, Mark McKnight, Mary Manning, Matt Connors, Matt Paweski, Monique Mouton, Nancy Shaver, Paul Mpagi Sepuya, Raha Raissnia, Ricky Swallow, Sam Falls, Sarah Zapata, Sue De Beer, Troy Montes Michie, Wilder Alison

This Long Century: Beginners presents a group show of early work by twenty artists, on view at Dunes from September 1st through November 30th, 2023. The exhibition brings together paintings, sculptures, photographs and films, by artists who have previously contributed to the long-running, online archive This Long Century, in celebration of the website’s 15th anniversary. The exhibition draws on an early period of shared artistic development, when ideas are tested and themes explored, some of which will be embraced and others discarded. As the first physical manifestation of This Long Century, the work on view emerges from a diverse cross-pollination of interests, while also providing a deeper understanding of each artists’ contribution to the website itself.

““As we hit the 15th year of This Long Century I found myself looking back through the archive—at the wide range of ephemera, sketchbooks, and personal reflections—thinking not only about where we started, but also what each contributor was making during their early years. I love beginnings, before anything makes sense. As beginners we are nonexperts; we’re on the outside, making mistakes, relying on intuition to find our way through a cosmology of raw energy, accidents, and imprecise thoughts. For me, This Long Century has always been less of a definitive statement and more of a jumping-off point, one that is both unmediated and free of hierarchical distinctions. As we step lightly into the physical world, with our first exhibition, I hope we can retain some of that elasticity.”.”

  • Jason Evans, Founder of This Long Century

2022

Drum Listens To Heart

September 1, 2022 – October 15, 2022

Drum Listens to Heart
An exhibition in three parts

Part I: September 1 – October 15, 2022
Part II: November 9 – December 17, 2022
Part III: January 17 – March 4, 2023

(Part I): Luke Anguhadluq, Marcos Ávila Forero, Em’kal Eyongakpa, Milford Graves, Barry Le Va, Rose Lowder, Lee Lozano, Harold Mendez, Davina Semo, Michael E. Smith
(Part II): Francis Alÿs, Theaster Gates, The Otolith Group, Lucy Raven
(Part III): Trisha Donnelly, David Hammons, Consuelo Tupper Hernández, NIC Kay, Guadalupe Maravilla, Rie Nakajima, Haegue Yang, David Zink Yi
(Ongoing): Raven Chacon, Susan Howe & David Grubbs
Wattis website

2021

We Are Here

May 28, 2021 – July 2, 2021

Jessica Silverman is pleased to announce the inaugural exhibition of its new space and location at 621 Grant Avenue in San Francisco’s Chinatown. Titled “We Are Here,” the group show features paintings, sculptures and photographs by 31 gallery artists and friends.
Artists: Sadie Barnette, Hernan Bas, Andrea Bowers, Luke Butler, Tammy Rae Carland, Judy Chicago, Conrad Egyir, Martha Friedman, Matthew Angelo Harrison, Julian Hoeber, John Houck, Kei Imazu, Isaac Julien, Matt Lipps, Cathy Lu, Dashiell Manley, Glendalys Medina, Rashaad Newsome, Woody De Othello, Maia Cruz Palileo, Hayal Pozanti, Clare Rojas, Hugh Scott-Douglas, Davina Semo, Coreen Simpson, Rose B. Simpson, Lam Tung Pang, Catherine Wagner, Nicole Wermers, Claudia Wieser, Margo Wolowiec.

Grouper

January 20, 2021 – February 20, 2021

Uri Aran/Sebastian Black/Dike Blair/Sarah Cain/Julia Chiang/Tyler Dobson/William Downs/Cody Goebl/Edie Fake/Lars Fisk/Ryan Foerster/Erik Foss/James Benjamin Franklin/Al Freeman/Amir Guberstein/Heather Guertin/Henry Gunderson/Stuart Hawkins/Matt Johnson/Ross Knight/Andrew Kuo/Margaret Lee/Tony Matelli/Eddie Martinez/Keith Mayerson/Yoshiaki Mochizuki/Sam Moyer/Elizabeth Neel/Jo Nigoghossian Claire Oswalt/Annie Pearlman/John Riepenhoff/Walter Robinson/Adrianne Rubenstein/Macrae Semans/Davina Semo/Kianja Strobert/Devin Troy Strother/Josh Tonsfeldt/Heather Weston
Broadway Gallery, NY

2020

2019

2018

Kinship

July 19, 2018 – August 31, 2018

Artists: Yoko Ono, Barbara Kasten, Judy Chicago, Mary Heilmann, Lynn Hershman Leeson, Amikam Toren, Suzanne Blank Redstone, John Waters, Ian Wallace, Donald Woodman, Catherine Wagner, Grayson Perry, Isaac Julien, Tammy Rae Carland, Andrea Bowers, Susanne M. Winterling, Mickalene Thomas, Haegue Yang, Luke Butler, Nicole Wermers, Julian Hoeber, Hank Willis Thomas, Matt Lipps, John Houck, Christopher Badger, N Dash, Davina Semo, Sean Raspet, Heather Rasmussen, Hayal Pozanti, Ru O'Connell, Dashiell Manley, Margo Wolowiec, Hugh Scott Douglas, Matthew Angelo Harrison, Woody De Othello
Jessica Silverman Gallery, San Francisco

SOMETHING (YOU CAN'T SEE, ON THE OTHER SIDE, OF THE WALL FROM THIS SIDE) CASTS A SHADOW

July 14, 2018 – August 14, 2018

SOMETHING (YOU CAN'T SEE, ON THE OTHER SIDE, OF THE WALL FROM THIS SIDE) CASTS A SHADOW
Yuji Agematsu, stanley brouwn, A.K. Burns, Abraham Cruzvillegas, Shannon Ebner, Phillip Greenlief, David Hammons, Carl Hendrickson, Zoe Leonard, Delcy Morelos, Senga Nengudi, Catherine Opie, Gordon Parks, Davina Semo, Stuart Sherman, David Wilson, David Wojnarowicz
Curated by Juana Berrío
SOMArts, San Francisco

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

Rock Art & the X-ray Style

August 10, 2013 – September 30, 2013

Harold Ancart, Aaron Aujla, Marlous Borm, Josh Brand, Bianca Beck, Aaron Bobrow, Sebastian Black, Hannah Buonaguro, Ben Bloomstein, Dennis Chow, Robin Cameron, Matt Creed, Elaine Cameron-Weir, N.Dash, Alex DeCarli, Dylan Eastgaard, Nadia Foerster, Brian Faucet, Lukas Geronimas, Rochelle Goldberg, Myranda Gillies, Jesse Greenberg, Cassie Griffin, Laura Hunt, Macgregor Harp, Chip Hughes, Van Hanos, Raina Hamner, Jesse Hlebo, Charles Harlan, Jesse Harris, Miles Huston, Daniel Innes, Robert Janitz, Shawn Kuruneru, Jacob Kassay, Ajay Kurian, Tuomas Korpijaakko, Zak Kitnick, Erik Lindman, Agnes Lux, Justin Liberman, Adam Marnie, Servane Mary, Win Mccarthy, Mathieu Malouf, Rose Marcus, Adam O'reilly, Grayson Revoir, Jory Rabinovitz, Tess Rafael, Davina Semo, Aaron Suggs, David Schoerner, Morgan Silver-Greenberg, Calvin Seibert, Ben Schumacher, Caroline Snow, Josh Tonsfeldt, John Tremblay, Janice Turner, Kyle Thurman, J Patrick Walsh 3, G. William Webb, Anton Zolotov
organized by Ryan Foerster
Brighton Beach, New York

LAT. 41° 7' N., LONG. 72° 19' W

July 13, 2013 – September 2, 2013

organized by Bob Nickas
Vito Acconci - Bill Adams - Richard Aldrich - Christopher Astley - Jules de Balincourt - Barry X Ball - Justin Beal - Lisa Beck - Walead Beshty - Huma Bhabha - Barbara Bloom - Carol Bove - Elaine Cameron-Weir - Peter Coffin - Anna Conway - Andy Cross - Rachel Beth Day - Trisha Donnelly - Jim Drain - David Flaugher - Ryan Foerster - Jason Fox - Isa Genzken - Daan Van Golden - Tamara Gonzales - Wayne Gonzales - Robert Grosvenor - Charles Harlan - Rachel Harrison - Mary Heilmann - Jacqueline Humphries - Robert Janitz - Craig Kalpakjian - Bill Komoski - Jim Lambie - Adriana Lara - Lazaros - Justin Lieberman - Erik Lindman - Agnes Lux - Chris Martin - Eddie Martinez - Servane Mary - Justin Matherly - John Miller - Olivier Mosset - Sam Moyer - Dave Muller - Amy O'Neill - Virginia Overton - Marlo Pascual - Nick Relph - Aura Rosenberg - Ben Schumacher - Davina Semo - Meredyth Sparks - Lily van der Stokker - Aaron Suggs - Wolfgang Tillmans - Josh Tonsfeldt - John Tremblay - Kelley Walker - Dan Walsh - G. William Webb - T.J. Wilcox - B. Wurtz
Martos Gallery summer location, East Marion, NY

XSTRACTION

May 3, 2013 – June 20, 2013

Adam Henry, Andrew Sutherland, Angel Otero, Anoka Faruqee, Ara Peterson, Ayan Farah, Chris Johanson, Cory Arcangel, Davina Semo, Dianna Molzan, Ethan Cook, Evan Gruzis, Gerhard Richter, Greg Bogin, James Krone, Kadar Brock, Karl Klingbiel, Landon Metz, Mark Flood, McArthur Binion, Oscar Murillo, Peter Demos, Peter Sutherland, Sam Moyer, Sarah Braman, Sayre Gomez, Stefan Bondell, Thomas Øvilsen, Timothy Bergstrom, Travess Smalley, Trudy Benson, Wade Guyton, Wendy White, Wil Murray, Wyatt Kahn, Xylor Jane

Monsalvat

January 18, 2013 – February 17, 2013

a Merkx & Gwynne project
organized with Maliea Croy and Allison Branham
Cy Amundson, Erica Baum, Gina Beavers, Francisca Benitez, Jessica Bennett, Paul Bergeron, Isaac Bonnel, Becket Bowes, Barb Choit, Andy Cross, Tania Cross, Cynthia Daignault, Constance DeJong, Michael DeLucia, Tyler Dobson, Sarah Dornner, Mark Fetty, John Finneran, Laurie Silver Flannery, Michael S. Flannery, Ron Flannery, Ellie Ga, Tamara Gonzales, Vivienne Griffin, Rachel Harrison, Dmitri Hertz, Matthew Hilshorst, Anders Holen, Matt Hoyt, Alex Hubbard, Timothy Hull, Tonya Huskey, Paul Jacobsen, Kristen Jensen, Joshua Johnson, Craig Kalpakjian, Scott Keightley, Gavin Kenyon, Viktor Kopp, Natalie Labriola, Tom Long, Benjamin Lowney, David Malek, Megan Marrin, Chris Martin, Tony Matelli, Justin Matherly, Lionel Maunz, Dave Miko, Filip Noterdaeme, Rome Petersson, Arianna Petrich, Rebecca Poland, Birgit Rathsmann, John Richey, Sarah Rogers, Julia Rommel, David Scanavino, Maximilian Schubert, Davina Semo, Mamie Tinkler, Tom Vanderwall, Erik Wysocan
Bureau, New York

Beyond The Object

January 15, 2013 – March 9, 2013

Aaron Aujla, Gabriele Beveridge, Andy Boot, Sophie Bueno Boutellier, Sarah Crowner, Robert Davis, Michael De Lucia, Tomas Downes, Ed Fornieles, Raphael Hefti, Julian Hoeber, Parker Ito, Sachin Kaeley, Barbara Kasten, Sean Kennedy, Jason Kraus, James Krone, Daniel Lefcourt, Tony Lewis, Lloyd Corporation, Andrea Longacre-White, Marie Lund, Dave McDermott, Matthew Metzger, Carter Mull, David Ostrowski , Virginia Overton, Michael Part, Hayal Pozanti, Noam Rappaport, Davina Semo, Lucien Smith, Chris Succo, Mika Tajima, Oscar Tuazon, Artie Vierkant, Emily Wardill
Brand New Gallery, Milano, Italy
press release

2012

Creature From the Blue Lagoon

July 21, 2012 – September 3, 2012

Darren Bader . Donald Baechler . Lisa Beck . Elaine Cameron-Weir . Anne Collier . Ryan Foerster . Motoko Fukuyama . Tamara Gonzales . Mary Heilmann . Matthew Higgs . Mamie Holst . Johanna Jackson . Chris Johanson . Ray Johnson . E'wao Kagoshima . Bill Komoski . Erik Lindman . Agnes Lux . David Malek . Chris Martin . Servane Mary . Justin Matherly . John Miller . Joseph Montgomery . Amy O'Neill . Virginia Overton . Jiyeon Park . Nathaniel Robinson . Alex Rose . Aura Rosenberg . Ben Schumacher . Davina Semo . Nancy Shaver . Keith Sonnier . Stephen Sprott . Aaron Suggs . Josh Tonsfeldt . Andra Ursuta . G. William Webb . B. Wurtz
organized by Bob Nickas
Martos Gallery Summer Location, Bridgehampton
press release
checklist

B-Out

July 5, 2012 – August 18, 2012

DAVID B. ABBOTT, JOSHUA ABELOW, HACKWORTH ASHLEY, ERICA BAUM, GINA BEAVERS, BARTON LIDICÉ BENEŠ, HEATHER BENJAMIN, ROBERT BITTENBENDER, CHRIS BOGIA, TRAVIS BOYER, JOE BRAINARD, ELIJAH BURGHER, BENJAMIN BUTLER, MELISSA BROWN, KATHE BURKHART, A.K. BURNS, TOVA CARLIN, GEOFF CHADSEY, CRISTINA COVUCCI, CODY CRITCHELOE, JEFF DAVIS, T.M. DAVY, LUCKY DEBELLEVUE, NANCY DE HOLL, JIMMY DESANA, LORENZO DE LOS ANGELES, DAVID DUPUIS, JACK EARLY, ANNE EASTMAN, NICOLE EISENMAN, ARNOLD FERN, JACK FERVER, JOHN FIREMAN, GLEN FOGEL, EVE FOWLER, FCKNLZ, PETER GALLO, SAM GORDON, JONAH GROENEBOER, ANNE HALL, MATTHIAS HAMANN, ERIK HANSON, K8 HARDY, MAYA HAYUK, TOM HOLMES, KATHERINE HUBBARD, TIMOTHY HULL, CHRISTINE HOU, XYLOR JANE, RAY JOHNSON, ALEXANDER JOVANOVICH, JANE KAPLOWITZ, KEEHNAN KONYHA, THOMAS LANIGAN-SCHMIDT, CARY LEIBOWITZ/CANDYASS, DANI LEVENTHAL, MARC LIDA, LEE LOZANO, RYAN LUCERO, MICHAEL MAHALCHICK, HUG & MAGNAN, LEE MAIDA, JOE MAMA-NITZBERG, YENI MAO, KEITH MAYERSON, ROBERT MELEE, BILLY MILLER, BOB MIZER, PIERRE MOLINIER, MARK MORRISROE, CARRIE MOYER, CHUCK NANNEY, FANTASTIC NOBODIES, MEL ODOM, JEANINE OLESON, ALICE O'MALLEY, JOHN O'REILLY, MICKI PELLERANO, SHEILA PEPE, JACK PIERSON, CARLO PITTORE, BERN PORTER, ADAM PUTNAM, HUNTER REYNOLDS, BILL RICE, EM ROONEY, MARCOS ROSALES, ALAN RUIZ, BORNA SAMMAK, DESI SANTIAGO, JOSHUA SEIDNER, DAVINA SEMO, PAUL MPAGI SEPUYA, ERIC SHAW, CELESTE DUPUY-SPENCER, MARC SWANSON, TABBOO!, RICHARD TINKLER, NICKOLAUS TYPALDOS, ANTONIO URDIALES a.k.a. ijĒŞǙŞ ҚĦŖİŞŢ, EUGENE VON BRUENCHENHEIN, JONATHAN WEINBERG, MAY WILSON, DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, MARTIN WONG, GRANT WORTH, CHRISTIAN XATREC
curated by Scott Hug
Andrew Edlin Gallery, New York
press release

2011

2011 Bridgehampton Biennial

July 8, 2011 – September 5, 2011

John M Armleder, Richard Aldrich, Barry X Ball, Lisa Beck, Jules de Balincourt, Sascha Braunig, Graham Caldwell, Elaine Cameron-Weir, Anne Collier, Trisha Donnelly, Ryan Foerster, Wayne Gonzales, Stefan Gunn, Guyton\Walker, Rachel Harrison, Mary Heilmann, Matthew Higgs, Jacob Kassay, Bill Komoski, Louise Lawler, David Malek, Chris Martin, Justin Matherly, Joseph Montgomery, Olivier Mosset, Amy O'Neill, Virginia Overton, Mai-Thu Perret, Ben Schumacher, Davina Semo, Alan Shields, Keith Sonnier, Aaron Suggs, Josh Tonsfeldt, John Tremblay, Andra Ursuta, Dan Walsh, B. Wurtz
organized by Bob Nickas
Martos Gallery Summer Location – Bridgehampton, NY
press release

2010

HELL, NO

April 1, 2010 – April 4, 2010

Leidy Churchman, Lucas Michael, Becky Brown, Wardell Milan, Debo Eilers, Richard Ziello, Matthew Kirk, Faren Ziello, Michael Mahalchick, Beth Beverly, Jaimes Mayhew, Amanda Maher, Cyle Metzger, Benjamin Fredrickson, Victoria Keddie, Hank Shedd, Gretchen Winterkorn, Carter, Titus Kaphar, Jaeeun Lee, Joshua Johnson, Katia Sobolski, Davina Semo, Zackary Drucker, Juan Betancurth, Mike Kenney, Michael Hilsman, RJ Supa, Julie Opperman, Virginia Ines Vergara, Nora Griffin, Elias Melad, Kalika Farmer, Marianna Ellenberg, Seldon Yuan, Michael Rudokas, Christian Dietkus, Jesse Greenberg, Michelle Rosenberg and Howard Huang, Matthew Fischer, and many more. 
curated by David Louis Fierman and RJ Supa
Convent of Saint Cecilia, Brooklyn, NY

Other work

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2013

2012

2011

Selected Press

Representation

Jessica Silverman, San Francisco

Contact

davinasemostudio@gmail.com

About

Davina Semo (b. 1981, Washington DC) has a BA in Visual Arts and Creative Writing from Brown University and an MFA from University of California, San Diego. In 2021, the artist’s work was exhibited at Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 1 in the solo installation Reverberation commissioned by Public Art Fund. Semo recently enjoyed the solo show Core Reflections at the di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art, Napa, wherein the Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Forrest Gander composed poetry and critical reflections to accompany the artist’s new sculpture. Her work shows nationally and internationally. Semo has exhibited in prominent group exhibitions at San Francisco Arts Commission; Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco; SOMArts, San Francisco; and Hannah Hoffman Gallery, Los Angeles. Her work was recently in the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive’s “New Time: Art and Feminisms in the 21st Century,” a major survey exploring recent feminist practices in contemporary art. Semo lives and works in Los Angeles. She is represented by Jessica Silverman, San Francisco.