Born 1973, Houston, TX
Lives and works in Houston, TX

EDUCATION
2008 MFA, University of Pennsylvania
2005 Skohegan School of Painting and Sculpture
2004 BFA, University of Houston

SELECTED SOLO AND TWO PERSON EXHIBITIONS
2022
Long to Go, Inman Gallery, Houston, TX
The End of my Beginning, Mississippi Museum of Art, Jackson, MI
FOCUS: Jamal Cyrus, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Fort Worth, TX
The End of My Beginning, Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, CA

2021
Manna and Braised Collards, PATRON Gallery, Chicago, IL
The End of My Beginning, Blaffer Art Museum, Houston, TX

2019
Currents & Currencies, Inman Gallery, Houston, TX

2018
Jamal Cyrus x Jamire Williams: Boogaloo & The Midnite Hours, Lawndale Art Center, Houston, TX
Jamal Cyrus and Julia Barbosa Landois: Regional Fictions, Mass Gallery, Austin, TX

2016
STANDARDZENBLŪZ, Inman Gallery, Houston, TX

2015
As Long as these Weeds and Green Grass Grows, Jamal Cyrus and Walter Stanciell, Project Row Houses, Houston, TX

2014
Melizmatik, Inman Gallery, Houston, TX

2011
DKONKR, Bryan Miller Gallery, Houston, TX
Museum as Hub: Steffani Jemison and Jamal Cyrus: Alpha’s Bet is Not Over Yet, New Museum, New York, NY

2009
Jamal Cyrus, Winners Have Yet to be Announced, The Kitchen, New York, NY

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2022
This Tender, Fragile Thing, Jack Shainman Gallery, Kinderhook, NY
Soundwaves: Experimental Strategies in Art + Music, Moody Center for the Arts, Houston, TX
re: collections, Six Decades at the Rose Art Museum, Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University, Waltham, MA

2021
Yesterday We Said Tomorrow curated by Naima J. Keith and Diana Nawi, Prospect, New Orleans, LA
Slowed and Throwed: Records of the City Through Mutated Lenses, Contemporary Art Museum, Houston, TX
The Dirty South: Contemporary Art, Material Culture, and the Sonic Impulse, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, VA (2021); travels to: Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, Houston, TX (2021); Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, AR (2022); Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, Dever, CO (2022)

2020
Everywhere. Now, Inman Gallery, Houston, TX
African Cosmologies: Photography, Time, and the Other, FOTOFEST, Houston, TX
Slowed and Throwed: Records of the City Through Mutated Lenses, Contemporary Art Museum, Houston, TX
The Souls of Black Folk, The Houston Museum of African American Culture, Houston, TX
Public Life Distance and Diaspora, FOTOFEST, Houston, TX
Please form a Straight Line, Blue Star Contemporary, San Antonio, TX

2019
Direct Message, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Chicago, IL
We are the People. Who are you?, Edel Assanti, London, England
Sanctuary, Smart Museum, Chicago, Il; travels to: Asia Society Museum, New York, NY (2020); Aga Khan Museum, Toronto, Canada (2020)

2018
Walls Turned Sideways: Artists Confront the American Justice System, Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, Houston, TX
Front International: Cleveland Triennial for Contemporary Art, Akron Art Museum, Akron, OH
Spin: Turning Records Into Art, KMAC Museum, Louisville, KY

2017
Prospect.4: The Lotus in Spite of the Swamp, Prospect New Orleans, New Orleans, LA
Sonic Rebellion: Music As Resistance, Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, Detroit, MI
Other Side: Art, Object, Self, The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY
looking at the overlooked: Jamal Cyrus, Nathaniel Donnett, Rodney McMillan, Ulrich Museum of Art at Wichita State University, Wichita, KS
Sanctuary, For-Site Foundation, San Francisco, CA
Walk the Distance and Slow Down: Selections from the JoAnn Gonzalez Hickey Collection, Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, Boulder, CO
Tell Me Why, Tell Me Why, Tell Me Why (Why Can’t We Live Together?), Lisa Sette Gallery, Phoenix, AZ

2016
The Freedom Principle: Experiments in Art and Music, 1965 – Now, Institute of Contemporary Art Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
False Flags, Pelican Bomb, New Orleans, LA
Dark Water Revival, Arthur Ross Gallery at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA

2015
AgitProp!, Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY
The Freedom Principle: Experiments in Art and Music, 1965 – Now, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Chicago, IL
Arresting Patterns: Race and the Criminal Justice System, New Haven, CT
Radical Presence: Black Performance in Contemporary Art, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA

2014
Round 40: Monuments: Right Beyond the Site, Project Row Houses, Houston, TX
Radical Presence: Black Performance in Contemporary Art, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, MN
After Walker Evans, Fort Worth Contemporary Arts

2013
Fore, Studio Museum of Harlem, New York, NY
Radical Presence: Black Performance in Contemporary Art, New York University, Grey Art Gallery, New York, NY; traveled to The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York, NY

2012
Radical Presence: Black Performance in Contemporary Art, Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, Houston, TX
The Bearden Project, Studio Museum of Harlem, New York, NY
Fort HMAAC, Houston Museum of African American Culture, Houston, TX

2010
International Artist in Residence, New Works; 10.2. Artpace, San Antonio, TX
Huckleberry Finn, CCA Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts, San Francisco, CA

2009
LandFall, Museum of London Docklands, London, England

2008
After 1968: Otabenga Jones and Associates: Contemporary Artists and The Civil Rights Legacy, High Museum, Atlanta, GA

2007
New Works, CTRL gallery, Houston, TX
Lessons from Below: Otabenga Jones and Associates, Menil Collection, Houston, TX
Alabama, Office Baroque Gallery, Antwerp, Belgium
When The Revolution Comes, Kathleen Cullen Gallery, New York, NY

2006
Whitney Biennial 2006: Day for Night, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY
Emerging 2, Space 125, Houston, TX

2004
Who Goliards? Artists at the Turn of the Century, The University Museum at Texas Southern University, Houston, TX
Digital Impact: Video (R) Evolution, Station Museum, Houston, TX
New American Talent: The Nineteenth Exhibition, Arthouse, Austin, TX
Ain’t that a Groove, Project Row Houses, Houston, TX
Synesthesia, Raw Space, Houston, TX

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
2022

Cantrell, Scott, “The Modern in Fort Worth explores Jamal Cyrus’ art of layers,” The Dallas Morning News, June
Gipson, Amarie, “An Art-Filled Weekend in Fort Worth,” Houstonia, June
Lewis, Betsy, “Review: Jamal Cyrus at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth,” Glasstire, May
Valentine, Victoria L., “Seeing in Texas: From Dallas to Houston and San Antonio, Museums are Showcasing a Spectrum of African American Art,” Culture Type, May

2021

“Houston Artsist Jamal Cyrus Tells Us About Finding Inspiration in the City’s Under-Researched Art History and His Studio Rituals,” artnet news, June
Battaglia, Jennifer, “Houston Goes to Chicago: Jamal Cyrus ‘Manna and Braised Collards’ at Patron Gallery,” Glasstire, May

2020

“Jamal D. Cyrus Wins High Museum of Art’s 2020 David C. Driskell Prize,” Artforum, February
Glentzer, Molly, “Houston Museum of African American Culture’s ‘Souls of Black Folk’ shows little has changed,” Houston Chronicle, July

2019
Chamberlain, Colby, “Brought to Justice,” Artforum, January

2018
Natalia Zuluaga, Lucie Steinberg and Gean Moreno, “Walls Turned Sideways: Artists Confront the Justice System,” Exhibition catalogue, Contemporary Art Museum Houston in association with [NAME] Publications, Miami, August
“Highline Invites Artists to Imagine New Monuments,” Artforum, November
Glentzer, Molly, “Houston artist Jamal Cyrus wins BMW’s Art Journey Prize,” Houston Chronicle, March
“African-American artist Jamal Cyrus selected for next BMW Art Journey,” Art Radar, March

2017
“Brain Sounds – Jamal Cyrus,” The Art Assignment, PBS Digital Studios, January
“Positions Sector at Art Basel Miami Beach,” Blouin Art Info, December
Shaw, Anny, “Race relations in the spotlight at Art Basel in Miami Beach,” the arts newspaper, December
Sharp, Sarah Rose, “Strains of Dissent: Art and Music at MOCAD,” Art in America, September
Gates, Anita, “Art Basel Miami Beach: New Show Design, New Energy,” The New York Times, December
Glentzer, Molly, “Jamal Cyrus shortlisted for prize at Art Basel Miami Beach,” Houston Chronicle, December
“Revolutionary Spirit,” Art Basel Miami Beach Magazine, December
Goldstein, Caroline. “The Freshman Class: 5 Galleries Making a Splash With Their First Time at Art Basel Miami Beach,” artnet news, December

2016
Glentzer, Molly, “Artists honor music as gateway to expression,” Houston Chronicle, December
Gray, Chris, “The Coolest Thing to Hit Downtown Houston in Ages (R.I.P. Michael Condray),” Houston Press, March
Bourland, Ian, “Sunrise In Different Dimensions.” Frieze, January-February.
Mason, Isabella, “”Standardzenbluz” by Jamal Cyrus at Inman Gallery, Houston.” Blouin Art Info, December

2015
Bier, Arielle, “Review: The Freedom Principle,” Artforum, September.
Farago, Jason, “The Freedom Principle review – an astounding fusion of jazz and art,” The Guardian, July
Margasak, Peter, “Why AACM and AfriCOBRA still matter,” Reader, July
Naomi Beckwith and Dieter Roelstraete, “The Freedom Principle: Experiments in Art and Music 1965 to Now,” Exhibition catalogue, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago in association with The University of Chicago Press, July

2014
Klaasmeyer, Kelly, “Two Third Ward Exhibitions Show the Importance of Perspective,” Houston Press, May

2013
Yona Backer, Naomi Beckwith, “Radical Presence: Black Performance in Contemporary
Art,” Exhibition catalogue, Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, September

2012
“Jamal Cyrus, Will Henry, Jeff Williams: Texas Prize,” Exhibition catalogue. AMOA-Arthouse, May

2011
Vogel, Wendy, “Jamal Cyrus, Linda Post and Kristin Musgnug,” Fluent Collaborative, May
Bier, Charlie, “Revise & Consent,” Houston Magazine, April

2010
Merla-Watson, Catherine Josephina. “Jamal Cyrus - Artpace,” ART LIES. Fall/Winter
Meehan, Margaret. “San Antonio on the Horizon,” Glasstire, September

2009
Korczynski, Jacob, “Jamal Cyrus on The Cut”, Prefix Photo, Issue # 20
Rosenberg, Karen, “Jamal Cyrus: Winners Have Yet to be Announced,” New York Times, May

2008
King, Jennifer, “Lessons From Below: Otabenga Jones & Associates at the Menil
Collection,” Art on Paper, April

2007
Johnson, Patricia, “Visually Challenging Work Challenges Tradition,” Houston Chronicle, October
King, Jennifer, “Lessons from Below at the Menil Collection,” Art on Paper, Oct/Nov

2006
White, Roger, “2006 Whitney Biennial,” ART LIES, Spring

2004
David Fahl & Kelly Klaasmeyer, “A Picture of Our Opinions on Local Exhibitions”, Houston Press, November
Anspon, Catherine D, “Digital Impact: Video (R)Evolution”, ART LIES, Fall issue
White, Michelle, “Contemporary Arts Museum Houston,” ART LIES, Fall issue

LECTURES AND ARTIST TALKS
2017
Ulrich Museum of Art at Wichita State University, Wichita, KS
Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Houston, TX
The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY

2016
Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX

2010
Creative Time Summit: Revolutions in Public Practice (with Otabenga Jones & Associates). Cooper Union, New York, NY

AWARDS AND RESIDENCIES
2020
David C. Driskell Prize

2019
Joan Mitchell Painters & Sculptors Grant

2018
BMW Art Journey

2012
AIRspace Residency, Abrons Arts Center, New York, NY
Texas Prize finalist, Arthouse at the Jones Center

2011
Terra Summer Residency Program, Giverny, FrancE
2010
Vermont Studio Center Residency, Johnson, VT
Artpace – San Antonio, International Artist in Residence
HAA Individual Artist Grant Recipient
2009
Smithsonian Artist Research Fellowship

2007
Creative Capital Foundation grant (w/ Otabenga Jones & Associates)

2006
Artadia Houston Award in the Visual Arts

2005
Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Award
CACH Individual Artist Grant Recipient

PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, TX
Blanton Museum of Art, Austin, TX
Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Fort Worth, TX
Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Chicago, IL
The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY
The Menil Collection, Houston, TX
The Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Houston, TX
The Rose Art Museum, Waltham, MA