Celebrating Black History Month

Painted at the height of the AFRICOBRA period, this image celebrates the life of Malcolm X, the giant to whom the title of the painting refers. We see a range of different images showing the humanity of this influential Black leader, including rare scenes with him smiling, pensively studious, laid back and cool. This picture epitomizes the philosophies that informed the foundation of AFRICOBRA, including the ideal of showing proud and positive images of Black heroes, and the ideal of capturing the complex humanity essential to the Black community, subverting the one-dimensional depictions normally associated with figures such as Malcolm X. Aesthetically, we see many formal visual strategies at work, including "Cool-Ade" colors, the use of text, the incorporation of a range of textures, and a mixture of figuration and abstract symbology.

From his home base in Atlanta, GA, Alfred Conteh makes stunning paintings that speak critically to the toll white supremacist institutions take on Black Americans, while also showing the resilience and strength that sustain Black culture and communities. Conteh tells the truth of how bad things have been and continue to be, while urging us to open our eyes and press forward.

When Mickalene Thomas first embarked on her art career, she faced an art field largely lacking in positive, inclusive images of femininity—especially images of gay women and women of color. Thomas has worked tirelessly for more than 20 years, constructing a multi-layered, far-reaching oeuvre that powerfully expands public concepts of feminine beauty.

Devan Shimoyama makes work that challenges cultural norms and celebrates progress. While acknowledging the pressures he has faced as a gay, Black man, Shimoyama simultaneously explores issues like home buying, gardening, spirituality, and family, spotlighting everyday ways to take ownership of time, community, and culture.

Born and raised amid the steel yards of south Chicago and the ecological wonderland of Lake Michigan, Richard Hunt pioneered a distinct, abstract visual language that perfectly encapsulates both the natural and built worlds in which he lives and works. What other Chicago abstract artist has ever so completely expressed the dynamic character of their community?

Kavi Gupta celebrates the diverse perspectives of these, and all artists of color whose work we have the privilege to exhibit and represent, including Dominican-born New York-based artist Firelei Báez, AFRICOBRA member Sherman Beck, conceptual artist Willie Cole, multidisciplinary Haitian, Canadian based artist Manuel Mathieu, South African sculptor, photographer and installation artist Mary Sibande, and abstract sculptor Kennedy Yanko. Along with the curators, historians, critics, teachers, and collectors working to diversify and equalize the contemporary art field, these extraordinary artists exemplify what it means when we say culture is created by communities. Whether equity, justice, and true representation become the norm for all Americans hinges on the thoughts we embrace today and the culture we create right now. Happy Black History Month.