Supporting Black Artists

In a time when institutional racism is so embedded in our society, it is our duty as art consumers to look past the white-washed media and dig a little deeper. There are countless talented Black artists in all different art mediums, but only a select few are given the recognition and prestige that so many deserve. Instead of going along with the unfortunate status quo of the art world, we need to pick up that slack and give these hardworking Black artists the attention that has been withheld from them for far too long.

Here, we have gathered a number of photographers, painters, and so many other artists who have been looked over simply because of their race. This list is merely a jumping-off point for you as art lovers to delve into the world and intrigue of Black art. Look up these artists, find even more talented people of color, and soon you will create a widely expanded repertoire of diverse art and artists to appreciate.

Art by Jaime Milner

Art by Jaime Milner

  1. Jaime Milner: a photographer and founder of the Gifted Project, which explores the beauty and ingenuity of Black men today, Milner is based in LA and has a slowly growing social media presence.

  2. Umar Rashid: another LA-based artist, Rashid is described as a storyteller, history buff, musician, and poet. He is also most known for his intricate paintings that are focused on subjects of color and that create a strong story.

  3. Cassi A. Namoda: a Mozambique-born painter who provides an interest in her ancestral roots. Her paintings are figurative yet primitive in style and are often portraits of family and scenes of everyday life in postcolonial East Africa.

  4. Faith Ringgold: a painter, author, and Civil Rights activist, Ringgold is most known for her innovative series of quilt narrations that communicate her political beliefs.

  5. Kara Walker: an artist who works mostly in the silhouette form, she rose to fame for her use of large paper silhouettes to explore social issues surrounding gender, race, and black history.

  6. Kehinde Wiley: an American portrait painter based in New York City, Wiley is most known for his highly naturalistic paintings of Black people. He was commissioned in 2017 to paint a portrait of former President Barack Obama for the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery.

Art by Kehinde Wiley

Art by Kehinde Wiley

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to talented Black artists who deserve recognition and support from the art community. Hopefully this list inspires you to learn even more about these and other artists whom you might have over-looked because of the innate systemic racism that reaches even our “progressive” art world. Now is the time to change that; now is the time to learn.