Joseph Delaney, Woman in Striped Dress, 1964 (United States)

Maria Auxiliadora da Silva, Capoeira, 1970. (Brazil)

Alma Thomas, Light Blue Nursery, 1968 (United States)

Julia López, Autorretrato (Self-Portrait), 1980 (Mexico)

Kerry James Marshall, De Style, 1993 (United States)

Myrlande Constant, Agaou Zeclair, 1999 (Haiti)

Hughie Lee-Smith, Counterpoise II, 1989 (United States)

Wilson Borja, Intersections, c. 2012 (Columbia)

Carlos Martiel, Monumento II, 2021 (Cuba, United States)

Songye Kifwebe (Mask), c. 19th century (Democratic Republic of the Congo)

Stephen Marc, Running Man, c. 2009 (United States)

Casta painting, Unknown artist, 18th Century (Mexico)

Rosana Paulino, Parede da Memória (Wall of Memory), detail, 1994-2015 (Brazil)

Ernie Barnes, Sugar Shack, 1976 (United States)

Sowei janus-faced helmet mask, Mende, 1920-50, (Sierra Leone)

Isabel Tirado, Personal I, 2023 (Venezuela)

Jean-Michel Basquiat, Untitled, 1985 (United States)

Inigo Jones, Masque a Daughter of Niger (Blackface), ca. 1605 (England)

Bakongo Nkisi Nkondi (Power figure), 18th-19th century (Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola)

Zarita Zevallos, from the Pariah series, 2018 (United States)

Kelly Sinnapah Mary, Notebook of No Return Memories (Mama), 2022 (Guadeloupe)

Mark Bradford, Black Venus, 2005 (United States)

Silvana Mendes, Afetocolagens Série (Affection collages Series), 2019 (Brazil)

Todd Gray, the hidden order of the whole, 2021 (United States)

Sheena Rose, Give Me Back My Flowers, 2022 (Barbados)

Giana De Dier, No existe la verdad absoluta (There is no absolute truth), 2022 (Panama)

Louis François Charon, Les Curieux en extase ou les Cordons de souliers (The Onlookers in Ecstasy or The Shoelaces), c. 1815 (France)

Renée Green, Untitled, 1992 (United States)

Vicki Meek, Respectable, 2021-22 (United States)

Romare Bearden, Young Students, c.1964 (United States)

Kevin E. Cole, Increase Risk with Emotional Faith, 2008 (United States)

Mary Lovelace O’Neal, Beware of Chief Stewards Bearing Gifts of Fruit and Showers, 1982 (United States)

Esmaa Mohamoud, Glorious Bones, 2018-19 (Canada)

Sam Gilliam, 10 27 69, 1969 (United States)

Robert Colescott, Tea for Two (The Collector), 1980 (United States)

Harmonia Rosales, Migration of the Gods, 2021 (United States)

Chelle Barbour, Surreal Plantation, 2024 (United States)

Laura Wheeler Waring, Four Friends, c. 1940s (United States)

Barbara Chase-Riboud, Zanzibar Gold, 1970 (United States, France)

Mickalene Thomas, Racquel #3, 2013 (United States)

Kehinde Wiley, Equestrian Portrait of Philip IV, 2017 (United States)

Lavar Munroe, Self on Horse, 2010 (The Bahamas, United States)

Elaine Mullings, Alkebulan, 2024 (United Kingdom)

Currier and Ives, The Darktown Hook and Ladder Corps, 1860s (United States)

Michael Ray Charles, Forever Free: Twenty-four Seven, 1995 (United States)

Hector Hyppolite, Fete du Morts (Festival of the Dead), 1946-48 (Haiti)

Barclay L. Hendricks, Bahsir (Robert Gowens), 1975 (United States)

Larissa De Souza, Ná Agontime (Mother Agontimé, 2022 (Brazil)

Wesley Clark, My Big Black America, 2015 (United States)

Ignacio Canela, Autorretrato, El negro cobrizo (Self-portrait, The Copper-toned Black Man), 1999, (Mexico)

Ellen Gallagher, Dew Breaker, 2015 (United States)

Hew Locke, The Procession, 2022 (United Kingdom)

Heriberto Cogollo, Le createur de chance (The creature of chance), 1970s (Columbia)

Clara Ledesma, Mujer con jaula (Woman with cage), 1964 (Dominican Republic)

Mestre Didi, Xaxará de Omolu (Omolu's scepter), 1960 (Brazil)

Teodoro Ramos Blanco, Autorretrato (Self-portrait), 1930 (Brazil)

Richard Mayhew, Beyond the Bramble Bush, 1996–97 (United States)

Emanoel Araújo, Composição Roxa e Vermelha (Purple and Red Composition), 1979 (Brazil)

Nick Cave, Mitre 3 (Soundsuit), c. 2010 (United States)

Colin Garland, In the Beautiful Caribbean, 1974 (Jamaica)

Daniel Lind Ramos, Con junto (The Ensemble), 2015 (Puerto Rico)

Alison Saar, Rouse, 2012 (United States)

Abdias Nascimento, Facade of a Temple, 1972 (Brazil)

Ronald Moody, Paul Robeson, 1968 (Jamaica, United Kingdom)

Fernand Pierre, Untitled, c. 1947 (Haiti)

Carla Armour, In the Name of Tradition, 2023 (Dominican Republic)

Loïs Mailou Jones, Textile Design (Afro Idol), c. 1928 (United States)

Didier William, Charged landscape, Cursed Grounds, They’ll Come for Us. They’ll Come From the Sky, 2022 (Haiti, United States)

Kwame Brathwaite, Untitled (Four Women with Purple Background), 1971 (United States)

María Magdalena Campos-Pons, De Las Dos Aguas (Of the Two Waters), 2007 (Cuba, United States)

Augusta Savage, Lift Every Voice and Sing, 1939 (United States)

LeRoy Clarke, A Prophetic Flaming Forest, 2003 (Trinidad)

Grace Kisa, The Eye of Ra, 2025 (United States)

Radcliffe Bailey, Enroute, 2005 (United States)

Melvin Edwards, Mamba (Lynch Fragment), 1965 (United States)

Maria Lídia Magliani, A namorada vai chorar (The girlfriend is going to cry), 1986 (Brazil)

Betye Saar, Shaman, 1991 (United States)

Emma Amos, Runners with Cheetah, 1983 (United States)

Glenn Ligon, Malcolm X (version 2) #1, 2000 (United States)

Charles Gaines, Numbers and Trees, Charleston Series 1, Tree #8, Sage Way, 2022 (United States)

Theaster Gates, A Mangled Passing, 2019 (United States)

Heitor dos Prazeres, Untitled, 1960 (Brazil)

Rashid Johnson, The Broken Five, 2019 (United States)

Senga Nengudi, Inside Outside, 1977 (United States)

Tam Joseph, Crime Rate is Rising, 1984-85 (Dominica, United Kingdom)

Sheila Pree Bright, Plastic Bodies, Untitled #2, 2003 (United States)

Paulo Nazareth, Untitled, 2011-12 (Brazil)

Khokho René-Corail, Combat de Coqs (Cockfight), undated (Haiti)

Pope. L, crawling in Portland, Maine, 2002 (United States)

Lorna Simpson, Younger Queen, 2016-19 (United States)

Jaspar or Jeronimus Becx, Dom Miguel de Castro, Emissary of Kongo, 1643 (The Netherlands)

Ebony G. Patterson, Brella Krew from the Fambily Series, 2013 (Jamaica)

Henry Taylor, Cicely and Miles Visit the Obamas, 2017 (United States)

Kara Walker, Norma, 2015 (United States)

Carrie Mae Weems, Untitled (from Not Manet's Type), 1997 (United States)

Thornton Dial Sr., Who Got The Corn, 2002 (United States)

George Liautaud, Entwined Figures, c. 1960s (Haiti)

Norman Lewis, Title Unknown (March on Washington), 1965 (United States)

Andrés Sanchez Gallque, Three Mulatto Gentlemen of Esmeraldas, 1599 (Peru)

Sonia Gomes, Correnteza (Current), from Raízes (Roots) series, 2018 (Brazil)

Rick Lowe, Rotation (Revolution), 2023 (United States)

David Hammons. Untitled (Night Train). 1989 (United States)

Edna Manley, The Forerunner, 1941 (Jamaica)

Mafalda Nicolas Mondestin, Ann Fè On Ti Pale II (Let's Have A Little Chat), 2016, (Haiti)

Glori Tuitt, WHNAP_GT, 2019 (United States)

Chi wara headdress, Bamana, c.19th-20th century (Mali)

Osmond Watson, Peace and Love, 1960 (Jamaica)

Boscoe Holder, Untitled, 2001 (Trinidad & Tobago)

Madalena Santos Reinbolt, Untitled, 1962–67 (Brazil)

Albert Chong, Self-Portrait with Baboon Skull, 1995 (Jamaica, United States)

Gabriel Medina Pinto, Guarura, 2022 (Venezuela)

Howardena Doreen Pindell, Katrina, 2005 (United States)

Octávio Araújo, Cristo favelado (Slum Christ), 1950 (Brazil)

Pancho Fierro attributed, Zamacueca dance (mestiza and mulato), c. 1800 (Peru)

Somaya Critchlow, Figure Holding a Little Teacup, 2019 (United Kingdom)

Aubrey Williams, Maya Dynasty, 1980 (Guyana)

Rigaud Benoit, Marketplace, 1965 (Haiti)

NYU Tandon researchers, AI generated examples of different identities corresponding to the African racial group, c.2024 (United States)

Belkis Ayón, La Cena (The Supper), 1988 (Cuba)

Henry Ossawa Tanner, The Thankful Poor, 1894 (United States)

Alberto Pitta, Olodum: Tropicalismo o movimento (Olodum: Tropicalism the movement), 1994 (Brazil)

Memorial head, Akan, 18th century, (Ghana)

Peter Paul Rubens, Four Head Studies of a Black Man, c. 1615(Belgium)

Sidney Amaral, Who Shall Speak on Our Behalf, 2014 (Brazil)

Winslow Homer, The Gulf Stream, 1899 (United States)

Jacob Lawrence, Street to Mbari, 1964 (United States)

Bisa Butler, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, 2019 (United States)

Everald Brown, Talking Drum, 1975 (Jamaica)

Vanessa L. German, Artist Considers the 21st Century Implications of Psychosis as Public Health Crisis or, Critical/Comedic Analysis into the Pathophysiology of Psychosis, 2014 (United States)

Harriet Powers, Bible Quilt, 1885-86 (United States)

Quintus Jan Telting, Opus #1315, The Microspy Contraption, c. 1985 (Curaçao)

Levar Munroe, Rehearsal For Reconstruction, 2019 (The Bahamas)

Agostino Brunias, Free Women of Color with Their Children and Servants in a Landscape, c. 1770–96 (Lesser Antilles)

Jean-Léon Gérôme, Bashi-Bazouk, 1869 (France)

Lita Cerqueira, Dança da Capoeira II (The Dance of Capoeira II), 1976 (Brazil)

Keisha Scarville, Passports, 2014 (United States)

P. H. Polk, Mildred Hansen Baker, 1937 (United States)

Nadia Taquary, “Ìyàmì”, “Mami Wata”, 2023 (Brazil)

Denyse Thomasos, Metropolis, 2007 (Trinidad, Canada)

Andres Serrano, The Interpretation of Dreams (White Nigger), 2001 (United States)

Francis Harwood, Bust of a Man, 1758 (Great Britain)

Figure holding a spear, 16th-century, Kingdom of Benin, Edo State, Nigeria

Alexis Esquivel, Cuidano del futuro (Citizen of the future), 2010 (Cuba)

Charly Palmer, Eminent Domain, 2020 (United States)

Luce Turnier, Nude Woman in Chair, 1977 (Haiti)

Nathaniel Mary Quinn, Double-Barreled Shotgun, 2021 (United States)

Dalton Paula, Manuel Congo, 2022 (Brazil)

Edouard Duval-Carrié La Voix des Sans Voix (The Voice of the Voiceless), 1999 (Haiti)

Hale Woodruff, The Trial of the Amistad Captives, 1939 (United States)

Robert S. Duncanson, Land of the Lotus Eaters, 1861 (United States)

Don Hogan Charles, Floyd Patterson and Muhammad Ali, 1972 (United States)

Pablo Picasso, Les Demoiselles D'Avignon (The Young Ladies of Avignon), 1907 (France)

William H. Johnson, Nude, ca. 1939 (United States)

Faith Ringgold, Picasso's Studio, 1991 (United States)

Sidney McLaren, Highbury Avenue, Morant Bay, 1972 (Jamaica)

Firelei Baez, Josephine Judas GOAT (it does not disturb me to accept that there are places where my identity is obscure to me, and the fact that it amazes you does not mean I relinquish it), 2017 (Dominican Republic)

Albrecht Durer, Catherine, 1521 (Germany)

Julie Mehretu, Sumo, 2024 (United States)

John Woodrow Wilson, Dialogue, 1973 (United States)

Artist unknown (Possibly Brazilian). Black Artist Completing a Portrait of Maria Anna of Austria, Queen of Portugal, 1700-1725 (Portugal)

Maxwell Alexandre, “Meus manos, minhas minas, meus irmãos, minhas irmãs, e meus cães” (My homies, my homegirls, my brothers, my sisters and my dogs), 2018 (Brazil)

Noah Davis, Seven Prisoners of the Abyss, 2088 (United States)

Amanda Williams, Flamin’ Red Hots from Color(ed) Theory Suite, 2014–15 (United States)

Kojo Griffin, Untitled Man With Gun, Men Standing, Man Shot..., 2003 (United States)

Wangechi Mutu, Intertwined, 2023 (Kenya, United States).jpg

Manuel Mendive, En tiempo de armonías (In times of harmony), 1986 (Cuba)

Kenny Duncan, Solid Boi, 2022 (Guadeloupe, France)

Maxwell Alexandre, Éramos as cinzas e agora somos o fogo, da série Pardo é papel (We were the ashes and now we are the fire, from the series Brown Is Paper), 2018 (Brazil)

Edmonia Lewis, Old Arrow Maker, modeled 1866, carved 1872 (United States)

Sonia Boyce, From Someone Else’s Fear Fantasy (A Case of . . . ), 1987 (United Kingdom)

Philomé Obin, Travaux d'asphaltage Cap-Haïtien- Port-au-Prince (Asphalt Work Cap-Haïtien- Port-au-Prince), 1951 (Haiti)

Horace Pippin, Sunday Morning Breakfast, 1943 (United States)

Trenton Doyle Hancock, Skum Drum, 2021 (United States)

Christopher Cozier, Tropical Night, 2006-14 (Trinidad)

Sargent Claude Johnson, Stage Proscenium, 1937 (United States)

Laylah Ali, Untitled, 2000 (United States)

Tavares Strachan, Allegiance, 2022 (Bahamas)

Wilson Tiberio, Africa, c. 1954 (Brazil)

Beauford Delaney, Can Fire in the Park, 1946 (United States)

Arthur Jafa, Big Wheel 5, c.2021 (United States)

Jaspar or Jeronimus Becx, Dom Miguel de Castro, Emissary of Kongo, 1643

Diego Velázquez, Juan de Pareja, 1650 (Spain)

Alexandra Bell, Olympic Threat, 2019 (United States)

Nina Chanel Abney, Hobson’s Choice, 2017 (United States)

Lilian Blades, Visage, 2016 (The Bahamas)

Shaun Leonardo, Toni (Toni Morrison), 2021 (United States)

Frank Bowling, Mirror, 1964-66 (United States)

Unknown Artist, Woman From Bahia, c. 1850 (Brazil)

Simone Leigh, Last Garment, 2022 (United States)

Matthew Benjamin Brady, Peter, 1863 (united States)

Ayrson Heráclito, Segredos Internos (Inner Secrets), c. 2010 (Brazil)

Val Souza, Detalhe da obra Vênus (Detail of the artwork Venus), 2021 (Brazil)

Nari Ward, Trophy, 1993 (Jamaica, United States)

Charles “Teenie” Harris, Possibly the Loendi Club, Pittsburgh, c. 1930–45 (United States)

Cydne Jasmin Coleby, Untitled, 2021 (The Bahamas)

Fred Wilson, Love's Blindness, 2003 (United States)

Leonardo Drew, Number 217, 2019 (United States)

Jack Whitten, 9.11.01, 2006 (United States)

Beau McCall, Button Armor Ensemble, 2023 (United States)

Charles-Henri-Joseph Cordier, African Venus, 1852 (France)

Sonia Boyce, She Ain’t Holding Them Up, She’s Holding On (Some English Rose), 1986 (United Kingdom)

Sanford Biggers, Transition, 2018 (United States)

Camille Norment, Untitled, 2022 (United States)

Pearl Fryar, Topiary Garden, Bishopville, South Carolina, 2018 (United States)

“The function of art is to do more than tell it like it is—
it’s to imagine what is possible.”
bell hooks

“As I grew I surrounded myself with images . . . Paintings and poems are moments capturing or seducing us, when we are so vulnerable. These images are metaphors. This is my life, how I see and, therefore, am able to speak. Praise the spirits and the stars that there are others among us who allow us visions that we may converse with one another.”
Ntozake Shange

Black Art Thinks (BAT)

BAT is a discussion platform dedicated to exploring and amplifying the global insights of Black art.

For BAT, Black art refers to the art of the Black diasporas of the Americas, and includes paintings, sculptures, installations, performances, photography, film, television, digital media, architecture, advertising, comic books, and everyday images.

Black art is not essential and predestined. It is dynamic and evolving.

It includes the richly diverse work created by artists of Black diasporic descent, as well as by artists of all backgrounds whose work engages with the many cultural meanings, histories, and imaginations of “blackness” across cultures.

Through curated gatherings, BAT creates spaces to look closely at Black art and engage in meaningful conversation about the thoughts and feelings it generates.

Creativity | Culture
History | Identity

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* For BAT, Black art refers to the art of the Black diasporas of the Americas.

** For BAT, “art” is short for “visual culture,” which includes paintings, sculptures, installations, performances, photography, film, television, digital media, architecture, advertising, comic books, and everyday images.

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