Black Artists
Artists have many layered identities and art educators need to present them as such.
Representing diverse artists in your curriculum is only part of an Anti-Bias, Anti-Racist curriculum. It needs to be more than a symbolic effort and art educators need to take into account intersectionality when introducing these artists to students. How do aspects of an artists’ social and political identities (ex. gender, sex, race, class, sexuality, religion, ability, physical appearance, etc.) intersect within their work?
In addition, we recognize that race is socially constructed and it is impossible to put humans in clearly defined categories by race. Racial identity is deeply personal, and artists within any given subgroup define themselves differently. Race, ethnicity, and nationality are all factors artist’s individually consider as their personal identity. However, as mentioned previously that is not all that there is to their identity. We know that artists have many layered identities and art educators need to do the research to present them as such. These groupings are not perfect, as humans are not meant to be divided into boxes. We hope this resource can help art educators identify who is missing from their curriculum in order to create a curriculum more representative of the incredible diversity among students and artists today.
Name/Nationality
Aaron Douglas American
Abe Odedina Nigerian
Adia Millett American
Adde Adesokan German / Nigerian
Adrian Brandon American
Afewerk Tekle Ethiopian
Aïda Muluneh Ethiopian
Alyssia Gibson American
Alexandria Smith British
Alice Beasley American
Alma Woodsey Thomas American
Alison Saar American
Amir Abdul-Shakur American
Amir Khadar Sierra Leonean-American
Amy Sherald American
Angela Pilgrim American
Andrea Chung American
Angelica Dass Brazilian
Anna Jane McIntyre Canadian
Andrea Pippins Swedish
Ashanté Kindle American
Asuka Anastacia Ogawa Japanese-Brazilian
Augusta Savage American
Aurélia Durand American
Ashley Chew American
Barbara Jone-Hogu American
Barkley L Hendricks American
Barry Johnson American
Bayeté Ross Smith American
Benny Andrews American
Bee Harris American
Betye Saar American
Bisa Butler American
Brandan “BMike” Odums American
Brittany Williams American
Camille Turner Canadian
Carrie Mae Weems American
Cauleen Smith American
Cbabi Bayoc American
Charles Alston American
Chakaia Booker American
Charles White American
Chip Thomas AKA jetsonorama American
Christo Musinguzi Ugandan
Christopher Myers American
Ciara LeRoy American
Clementine Hunter American
Cy Gavin American
Cedric Michael Cox American
Carolyn Mazloomi American
Dáreece J. Walker American
David Alabo Ghanaian-Moroccan
David Driskell American
David Hammons American
Dawoud Bey American
Deana Lawson American
Deborah Roberts American
Delfin Finley American
Delita Martin American
Derrick Adams American
Délio Jasse Angolan
Derek Fordjour American (Ghanaian heritage)
Devin Allen American
Didier William Haitian
Dissirama Ghanaian
Dewey Crumpler American
Ebony G. Patterson Jamaican
Ejatu Shaw British
Ekow Nimako Ghanaian-Canadian
Ekua Holmes American
El Anatsui Ghanaian
Eliana Rodgers American
Elias Sime Ethiopian
Elizabeth Catlett American & Mexican
Ellis Wilson American
Emma Amos American
Emory Douglas American
Ernie Barnes American
Faith Bebbington British (Jamaican heritage)
Faith Ringgold American
Falko One South African
Francis Robateau Belizean American
Frank Bowling Guyanan/British
Frank Morrison American
Fred Wilson American
Glenn Ligon American
Gordon Parks American
Gerald A. Brown American
Hale Woodruff American
Hamilton Glass American
Hank Willis Thomas American
Harold D. Smith Jr. American
Hebru Brantley American
Henry Ossawa Tanner American
Henry Taylor American
Horace Pippin American
Howardena Pindell American
Hippy Potter American
Iona Rozeal Brown American
Ibrahim el-Salahi Sudanese
Jack Whitten American
Jackie Ormes American
Jacob Lawrence American
Jacolby Satterwhite American
Jade Purple Brown American
Jae Jarrell American
Jalondra Quvon American
Jamaal Barber American
Jamel Shabazz African American
Jean-Michel Basquiat Haitian/Puerto Rican
Jeanette Ehlers Danish-Trinidadian
Jen Hewett American
Jennifer Mack-Watkins American
Jennifer Packer American
Jessi Raulet American
Jessica Spence Jamaican-American
Jibade-Khalil Huffman American
Johnson Eziefula Nigerian
Joiri Minaya Dominican-United Statesian
Jonelle James Guyanese & Jamaican
Jordan Casteel American
Joyce J. Scott African American
Julie Mehretu Ethiopian
Kara Walker American
Kayla Mahaffey American
Kadir Nelson American
Khari Turner American
Kay Brown American
Kay Douglas American
Kerry James Marshall American
Kenyatta AC Hinkle American
Kehinde Wiley American
Kesha Bruce American
Kevin Kabue Kenyan
Kevin Snipes American
Kimmy Cantrell American
Kori Newkirk American
Kip Omolade American
Laci Jordan American
LaKela Brown American
Lakwena Maciver British
LaToya Hobbs American
LaToya Ruby Frazier American
Lauren Halsey American
Laylah Ali American
La Vaughn Belle Virgin Islands
Lavaughan Jenkins American
Lava Thomas American
Leslie Diuguid American
Leeya Rose Jackson American
Lina Iris Viktor British-Liberian
Lois Mailou Jones American
Lonnie Holley American
Lorna Simpson American
LaShawnda Crowe Storm American
Madelyn Sneed Grays American
Magdalene Odundo Kenyan, British
Malaya Lalog American
Malcolm Mobutu Smith American
Mark Bradford American
Mary Jackson American
Manuel Mendive Afro-Cuban
Marlon Riggs American
Martin Puryear American
Mary Edmonia Lewis American
Mia Saine American
Michael C. Thorpe American
Mickalene Thomas American
Michael Zeray African American
Mildred Beltré American
Mimi Moffie Dutch
Moe Brooker American
Musah Swallah Ghanaian
Mike Henderson American
Mildred Howard American
Nadine Robinson Jamaican
Natasha Cunningham Jamaican
Nick Cave American
Nicholle Kobi French
Njideka Akunyili Crosby Nigerian American
Norman Lewis American
Nontsikelelo ‘Lolo’ Veleko South African
Nathan Murray American
Natasha Nayo Ghanaian
Nina Chanel Abney American
Noah Purifoy American
Odili Donald Odita Nigerian
Oge Mora American
Palmer Hayden American
Paul Andrew Wandless American
Paul Briggs American
Pierre Santos British
Prince Gyasi Nyantakyi Ghanaian
Queenbe Moneyi American
Quentin Veracity Canadian
Rashid Diab Sudanese
Rashid Johnson American
Rashod Taylor American
Reggie Laurent American
Renee Cox Jamaican-American
Renée Stout American
Robert S. Duncanson American
Romare Bearden American
Ruby Onyinyechi Amanze Nigerian-British
Sam Gilliam American
Sam Dunson American
Sharee Miller American
Sharif Bey American
Sharon Norwood Canadian, Jamaican, American
Shanée Benjamin American
Simone Leigh American
Simone Saunders Jamaican European
Stanley Whitney American
Stephen Carter American
Stephen Marc American
Stephen Wiltshire British
Stephanie Santana American
Tanekeya Word American
Tatyana Fazlalizadeh American
Tawny Chatmon American
Taylor McManus American
Temi Coker Nigerian
Thomas J. Price British
Thornton Dial African-American
Titus Kaphar American
Tiffany Thomas American
Tre Crews American
Torkwase Dyson American
Toyin Ojih Odutola American-Nigerian
Tyree Guyton American
Umar Rashid AKA Frohawk Two Feathers American
vanessa german American
Vashti Harrison American
Veronica Ryan American
Wangechi Mutu Kenyan
Wayde McIntosh American
Willard Wigan British
William Johnson American
Woody De Othello American
Willie Cole American
Xenobia Bailey African-American
Yinka Shonibare British-Nigerian
Yung Jake American
Zanele Muholi South African
Zipporah Camille Thompson American
Zora J Murff American (Black)
