Kerry James Marshall’s retrospective exhibition opens in Paris, celebrating black representation in art
Kerry James Marshall, a leading African-American painter known for bringing black figures into Western galleries, is celebrated in a major retrospective at the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris. The exhibition highlights his powerful portrayal of black subjects in everyday settings, challenging traditional European art norms.
Brève Publié le (Africa/Lagos, UTC+1) · date de l'événement : 2026-09-23
A major retrospective of African-American artist Kerry James Marshall’s work opened on Wednesday at the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris, celebrating his significant contribution to black representation in Western art.
Marshall, born in Alabama and raised in Los Angeles, has been highly acclaimed in the United States for his paintings that spotlight black people in everyday settings, such as beauty salons and parks, countering historical portrayals of black figures as servants or slaves.
His works, including “De Style” (1993) and “Black Painting” (2003), incorporate references to significant moments and figures in America’s history of race relations, while using jet-black skin tones as a rhetorical device to explore blackness as a complex and rich aesthetic framework.
Despite his widespread recognition and record-setting auction sales, Marshall remains uncomfortable with being labeled a trailblazer, emphasizing that black figures have long existed in art, citing influences from artists like Charles White and classical European painters.