From Malay Mail · · 2m
Kerry James Marshall: American Blackness Painter
Kerry James Marshall's 'Blackness' exhibition celebrates his impact on Western art with black figures as central themes.
In brief
Kerry James Marshall's 'Blackness' exhibition celebrates his impact on Western art with black figures as central themes. Kerry James Marshall, an influential American painter, is celebrated in Europe for his work 'The Histories' that redefines black representation in Western galleries. Originally reported by Malay…
Kerry James Marshall
US artist Kerry James Marshall poses for a photo session for his first exhibition in France, titled 'The Histories', running from September 18, 2026, to January 24, 2027, at the Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris on September 17, 2026.
American Painter Celebrated
Marshall is highlighted in a major retrospective exhibition titled 'The Histories' that has won rave reviews at London’s Royal Academy of Art and Zurich’s Kunsthaus before arriving at the Musée d'Art Moderne in Paris.
Black Portraiture Pioneer
Despite his pivotal role, Marshall remains reluctant to be seen as a trailblazer, emphasizing that black figures have long existed in art history.
Artistic Influences
He cites the work of his American mentor Charles White (1918-1979) and portraits by the 16th-century Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch or Ancient Greek statues as influences.
Black Figures in Art
Marshall's work challenges traditional representations by portraying black figures in everyday scenarios and uses their skin color as a rhetorical device to provoke deeper reflections on identity.
Key Works
His monumental work 'De Style' (1993) depicts clients of an African American hair salon staring at viewers in front of a calendar showing Rodney King’s beating in Los Angeles in 1991.
Blackness as Rhetorical Device
The blackness is 'a rhetorical device, not just as a marker of a certain kind of identity, but to create an aesthetic framework in which people can think about blackness as more than just a simple dead end.'
Early Life
Marshall spent his early years in racially segregated Birmingham, Alabama, before moving to Los Angeles in the 1960s with his parents and brother.
Impact of 2020 Protests
The massive Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 boosted interest in black American artists including Mark Bradford and Julie Mehretu.
The essence
Kerry James Marshall, an influential American painter, is celebrated in Europe for his work 'The Histories' that redefines black representation in Western galleries.
