Throughout history, countless ethnic groups and marginalized people have not been given the attention they deserve from the art world. This slideshow is dedicated to black, contemporary artists that we believe our readers should know more about. Many of these artists' works both acknowledge the art world's exclusionary history and subvert it. The artworks highlighted here span drawing, painting, quilting, and sculptural practice.
Philemon Williamson’s painting often read as childhood or adolescent memories captured with vibrant oils on linen. The artis is not afraid to operate outside of the art Critic’s desire for work that is easy to interpret or easily categorized as ‘black artwork.’ Despite exhibiting with big name contemporaries including Kerry James Marshall, Kara Walker, and Whitfield Lovell, her work is not as well-known as it should be.
Uniquely, referential, her work is tired to a person al visual language that features items such as clothing and toys that are either from or reminiscent of the artists own childhood. With upcoming solo exhibitions in San Francisco and NYC, Williamson continues to make work from her home in East Orange and studio in upper Montclair, New Jersey.
Artist list: Yinka Shonibare, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Kehinde Wiley, Kieth Knight, Faith Ringgold, Kara Walker, Amy Sherald, Bisa Butler, Philemona Williamson, Carrie Mae Weems
