Artist Odili Donald Odita, known for his recent atrium commission at the Museum of Modern Art, has filed a lawsuit against Jack Shainman Gallery, the New York gallery that represents him. Filed in New York's Supreme Court, the suit alleges that the gallery withheld $1.12 million worth of his artworks and stopped paying a monthly stipend of $14,000 in October 2024, while continuing to sell his work. Odita claims the gallery's accounting became "extremely suspect" and that it refused his proposal to return the art so he could sell it himself to cover an alleged deficit. The gallery disputes all claims and says it will respond in court filings.
This lawsuit matters because it highlights tensions in the artist-gallery relationship, particularly around financial transparency and control over unsold inventory. Odita is a significant contemporary artist with international exhibition credits including the Venice Biennale and Prospect New Orleans, and his MoMA commission underscores his stature. The case also follows a recent lawsuit in which Jack Shainman Gallery was the plaintiff, suing collector Jim Hedges over unpaid debts, adding to the gallery's legal entanglements. The outcome could set precedents for how galleries handle artist stipends and artwork retention.