#African American

North American Art

The Bright Age of African-American Art: Harlem Renaissance in the US

In the first quarter of the 20th century, the Harlem region of New York City witnessed an unprecedented surge in artistic production. Known as the...

Merve Parla 4 July 2024

Contemporary Art

13 Black Folk Artists from the American South

The thirteen self-taught artists below, from Bill Traylor to Nellie Mae Rowe, Thornton Dial to Mary T. Smith among others, created some of the most...

Adam Oestreich 4 July 2024

The Carters (Beyoncé amd Jay-Z) in front of Leonardo da Vinci, Mona Lisa, 1503, Louvre Music

All Louvre Masterpieces from Beyoncé & Jay-Z’s APES**T Video Explained

The famous music video shows Jay-Z and Beyoncé at the Louvre Museum in Paris. There are shots of them standing in front of the Mona Lisa wearing...

Zuzanna Stańska 10 June 2024

Alma Thomas, Tiptoe Through the Tulips, 1969, acrylic on canvas, National Gallery of Art, Washington DC, USA. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Tiptoe Through the Tulips by Alma Thomas

The style of Alma Thomas has been compared to Byzantine mosaics and the Pointillism of Georges Seurat. However, it firmly belongs to the Washington...

James W Singer 19 May 2024

Nona Faustine, ‘Dorothy Angola, Stay Free, In Land Of The Blacks’, Minetta Lane, Village, NYC, 2021, from White Shoes (MACK, 2021). Courtesy the artist and MACK. Review

In Their Shoes: Nona Faustine’s White Shoes Now at the Brooklyn Museum

White Shoes (2021) is a complete series of photographs presenting a decade-long project of Brooklyn-based artist Nona Faustine. This beautifully...

Jennifer S. Musawwir 22 April 2024

Contemporary Art

Fabrics of Power and Sensation: An Introduction to Basil Kincaid

Basil Kincaid (b. 1986) is an American contemporary artist. His multimedia work showcases the potential of repurposed materials while reflecting on...

Iolanda Munck 8 April 2024

Women Artists

The Fabulous Sculpture and Mysterious Life of Edmonia Lewis

Edmonia Lewis (c. 1844-1907) was quite a force of nature. She was an African American and Native American woman who became an...

Alexandra Kiely 25 March 2024

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Officer of the Hussars by Kehinde Wiley

Let’s talk about the Officer of the Hussars by Kehinde Wiley. Wiley is a Nigerian artist, based in New York, with studios in China and Senegal. He...

Joanna Kaszubowska 4 March 2024

Women Artists

Faith Ringgold: An American Icon

Faith Ringgold was an artist, educator, storyteller, activist, and a mother. Ringgold was also an American treasure whose artistic journey has...

Jennifer S. Musawwir 3 March 2024

Aaron Douglas, Judgment Day, 1939, oil on tempered hardboard, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, USA. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Judgement Day by Aaron Douglas

Judgment Day by Aaron Douglas is a masterpiece of Black history. It encapsulates the dynamic culture of the Harlem Renaissance through its striking...

James W Singer 4 February 2024

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Fons Americanus by Kara Walker

Kara Elizabeth Walker, born in 1969, is an American contemporary artist. She is known as a painter, silhouettist, print-maker, installation artist,...

Isla Phillips-Ewen 4 February 2024

Harriet Powers Women Artists

Harriet Powers: A Black Female Folk Artist Who Regained Her Glory

For much of the 20th century, the work of Harriet Powers, an enslaved and later emancipated Black folk artist, was erased from the art historical...

Kristin Urban 2 February 2024