#Black Artists

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 4 July 2025

Pop art

Grace Jones and Keith Haring: The Collaboration That Electrified Pop Culture

Keith Haring and Grace Jones did more than just collaborate—they created a cultural earthquake. Their partnership was bold, vibrant, and...

Sabrina Phillips, Szymon Jocek 26 June 2025

Herstory

Art as Liberation: Elizabeth Catlett’s Compassionate Portrayal of Black Identity

Elizabeth Catlett (1915–2012) stands tall as a monumental force in both art and social justice. With a career over seven dynamic decades, she...

Sabrina Phillips 19 June 2025

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 19 June 2025

History

Bondage and Freedom—The Protest Art of Two Abolitionists

Since the elites in power like the status quo, social reform is a grassroots movement.  How do reformers engage the masses? With art. Should protest...

Helen Jeffery 19 June 2025

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 19 June 2025

Contemporary Art

The Multi-Sensory Universe of Nick Cave

Nick Cave activates our imaginations with his tangible soundsuit sculptures, soulful dance performances and whimsical installations.

Marga Patterson 16 June 2025

Photography

Through the Lens of Activism: Zanele Muholi in 5 Photographs

Zanele Muholi is not only one of South Africa’s most celebrated contemporary artists but also a leading voice in the global conversation around...

Carlotta Mazzoli 12 June 2025

Lubaina Himid, The Operating Table, 2019. Women Artists

Stories of Black Britishness by Lubaina Himid

Winner of prestigious awards, including the Turner Prize, Lubaina Himid has a long and prolific career as an artist, curator, and teacher. Her art...

Natalia Tiberio 29 May 2025

Henry Ossawa Tanner, Sand Dunes at Sunset, Atlantic City, 1885, White House, Washington DC, USA. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Sand Dunes at Sunset, Atlantic City by Henry Ossawa Tanner

Sand Dunes at Sunset, Atlantic City is a masterpiece of Black art and history. It was painted by Henry Ossawa Tanner during a time of incredible...

James W Singer 27 May 2025

North American Art

QUIZ: Do You Know Your Black American Artists?

Candy Bedworth 10 May 2025

Contemporary Art

Amy Sherald: American Sublime at the Whitney Museum

Amy Sherald (b. 1973) has identified herself as “an American realist painter painting American people.” The current retrospective of her work...

Tom Anderson 5 May 2025