Groundbreaking African American Artists Who Shaped History
African-American artists have made significant historical contributions that are vivid threads that weave stories of resiliency, inventiveness, and cultural revolution.
Alma Thomas’s distinctive style evolved during the colourful Washington Color School period, which investigated colour theory and abstraction.
Alma Thomas
Alma Thomas
William Edmondson
William Edmondson
His art frequently displayed a deep spiritual profundity, demonstrating his relationship to his faith and the outside world.
Jacob Lawrence
Jacob Lawrence
Lawrence captured his people’s challenges and ambitions through vivid colours, sharp shapes, and a unique visual language that captured the spirit of the migratory experience.
Gordon Parks
Gordon Parks
In the 1930s, Parks started as a photographer, portraying the harsh reality of living through the Great Depression.
Melvin Edwards
Melvin Edwards
As a critical player in the Black Arts Movement, a cultural and artistic movement that aimed to develop a distinctive African-American aesthetic, Edwards became well-known in the 1960s.
Martin Puryear
Martin Puryear
Martin Puryear sculptures, distinguished by their delicate craftsmanship and organic shapes, combine minimalist sensibilities with a deep understanding of cultural and historical histories.
Julie Mehretu
Julie Mehretu
Mehretu’s background in Ethiopia and her upbringing in the United States are only two of the many varied influences that have shaped her work.
Carrie Mae Weems
Carrie Mae Weems
Weems frequently uses her photographic series as a potent lens to examine complex societal topics.