Art
The Long, Rich History of Africa’s Sahel Region
More than merely a grand survey of art from the region, Sahel: Art and Empires on the Shores of the Sahara mobilizes discussions around migration and contemporary cultural stewardship.
Alexandra M. Thomas
Alexandra M. Thomas is an assistant professor of art history at Fordham University. She writes and teaches black and queer feminist art histories of Africa and the African diaspora.
Art
Ceramic Sculptures That Refuse the Neat and Tidy
Trafficking in fragments of beings, machines, and ideas, Julia Phillips rejects the immediate gratification of simple forms and answers.
Art
Kevin Beasley’s Sculptures Evoke the Family Intimacy We’re All Missing
In his exhibition Reunion, Beasley’s sculptures express reverence for his family’s annual gatherings in Virginia — canceled this year due to the pandemic, like so much else.
Art
The Luminous Blues of Ficre Ghebreyesus’s Painterly World
Foregrounding narratives of oceanic migration, Ghebreyesus’s paintings radiate power and serenity in vibrant shades of blue.
Art
Joiri Minaya Isn’t Here to Entertain Your Tropical Fantasies
I’m here to entertain you, but only during my shift flirts with beauty, ecology, and the desire to be seen, without capitulating to the pull of exoticization.
Art
#BlackGirlMagic Takes Form In Vanessa German’s Sculptures
German’s commitment to dynamic and sometimes riotous formal strategies expresses an amalgamation of Black femme iconography, including shrines to Serena and Venus Williams with butterflies.
Art
Ebony G. Patterson Transforms the Gallery Into a Garden
At Hales New York, Patterson’s collages meditate on the entropy and delicate elegance of our natural and built environments.