Samantha Modder: Her Hair Like the Sun and Clouds

Following the presentations of monumental paintings by Naeem Khan (2023) and Vaughn Spann (2024), the Tampa Museum of Art will feature large-scale wall drawings by artist Samantha Modder (Nigerian, b. 1995). Born in Lagos, Nigeria and raised in Sri Lanka, Modder depicts fantastical worlds of Black female protagonists. Her art, rendered with ball point pen, explores themes of power and resistance, and she creates vignettes imbued with curiosity and playfulness. Based in Tampa, Florida, Modder is Assistant Professor of Art and Design at the University of Tampa.