While many are familiar with the empowering phrase “Black is beautiful,” its origins are less known by the general population. Popularized by Kwame Brathwaite in the 1960s, the New York-based photojournalist utilized the slogan in conjunction with his photography that documented Black life throughout the fashionable sixties. Nearly 60 years later, Brathwaite’s noteworthy photography is […]
Brooklyn-based artist Mickalene Thomas will showcase her new collection of work this fall in a series of exhibitions that will be featured in New York, London, Paris, and Hong Kong. In partnership with Lévy Gorvy, the exhibition series titled “Beyond the Pleasure Principle” will consist of paintings, installations, and video. Thomas’s artwork notably focuses on […]
Kwesi Botchway, a distinguished artist from Accra-Ghana, spoke with Artnet’s Naomi Rea to discuss his current exhibition “Homecoming: The Aesthetic of the Cool” and why painting Black faces is such an integral part of his work. Heavily encouraged to paint at a young age by his mother, Botchway’s journey with art began in childhood. He […]
From Martin to Rugrats, artist Ashleigh Sharmaine is reimagining well-known TV shows and movies with influence from the ‘90s era. In a recent interview with BET, Sharmaine described the three key ingredients that her art is comprised of: nostalgia, crossovers, and concept mash-ups. With her character crossover illustrations, the artist strives to switch the actors with a cartoon […]