Contemporary & Historical Black Artists

African American and Black Diaspora

Contemporary & Historical Black Artists

1. Faith Ringgold – United States – Painter & textile artist (story quilts addressing race and gender) The New Yorker+15MoMAA+15Invaluable+15
2. Alma Thomas – United States – Abstract painting (Color Field / Post‑Impressionism) MoMAA
3. Betye Saar – United States – Assemblage & mixed media (political, feminist narratives) MoMAA
4. Julie Mehretu – Ethiopia / USA – Monumental abstract painting & drawing Wikipedia+15MoMAA+15Wikipedia+15
5. Wangechi Mutu – Kenya / USA – Collage, sculpture, installation, performance (Afrofuturism) Magazine Artsper+5MoMAA+5Wikipedia+5
6. Njideka Akunyili Crosby – Nigeria / USA – Figurative collage & painting (diaspora identity) resources.nascoeducation.com+5MoMAA+5Reddit+5
7. Kara Walker – United States – Cut‑paper silhouettes, installation art (race, history, identity) Essence+12MoMAA+12Medium+12
8. Toyin Ojih Odutola – Nigeria / USA – Detailed ink and pastel portraits (identity & narrative) That Sister+3MoMAA+3Reddit+3
9. Amy Sherald – United States – Portrait painting in grayscale (cosmopolitan realism) resources.nascoeducation.com+3MoMAA+3Wikipedia+3
10. Lorna Simpson – United States – Conceptual photography & text-based multimedia The New Yorker+3MoMAA+3Magazine Artsper+3
11. El Anatsui – Ghana – Sculpture & installation (recycled materials, textile‑like metal forms) Reddit+6MoMAA+6Magazine Artsper+6
12. Chakaia Booker – United States – Sculpture (recycled tires / metal) MoMAA
13. Bisa Butler – United States – Textile portraiture & quilting (African fabrics, storytelling) Reddit+2Essence+2Wikipedia+2
14. Xaviera Simmons – United States – Photography, installation, performance (landscape & identity) MoMAA+1That Sister+1
15. Sondra Perry – United States – Digital video & new media (technology, race, identity) MoMAA
16. Kerry James Marshall – United States – Painting (Black history and representation) Financial Times+3FXLB NY+3The New Yorker+3
17. Mark Bradford – United States – Large-scale mixed-media collages (urban culture, abstraction) webflowinternal.artory.com
18. Mickalene Thomas – United States – Mixed media: rhinestones, collage, painting, photography (Black femininity) FXLB NY+5Wikipedia+5The Times+5
19. Tschabalala Self – United States – Mixed media painting and textiles (Black female bodies) Reddit+2Wikipedia+2MoMAA+2
20. Glenn Ligon – United States – Mixed media: neon text, print, film, photography (race, class, identity) That Sister+1The New Yorker+1

Additional Notable Names from African & Global Diaspora

• Yinka Shonibare – UK/Nigeria – Sculpture & installation (colonialism, identity, batik fabrics) resources.nascoeducation.com+1Medium+1
• William Kentridge – South Africa – Drawing, animation & performance (memory, apartheid) Reddit
• Emeka Ogboh – Nigeria/Germany – Sound installations & multimedia (urban identity, cultural memory) Reddit
• Zanele Muholi – South Africa – Photography & activist portraiture (LGBTQ+ rights, visibility) Reddit+2MoMAA+2Reddit+2

Quick Summary Table

This is a curated selection—not exhaustive—but it reflects a dynamic spectrum of Black artistic practice worldwide. If you’d like to focus on emerging artists, specific regions, or visual mediums (e.g., painting, digital art), I can refine the list further!

Printing shop in Kendall, FL