Black Artists to Know and Follow

Written By Eliza Colón

When’s the last time you updated your home’s feng shui? Curating a nice art collection in your home or business sets the tone for everything else and is an incredibly powerful tool. Throughout the years, Black artists have gifted the world with an exquisite lens of identity, culture, race, and how we live. Next time you’re redecorating or visiting a new exhibit, keep your eyes peeled for these Black creators portraying the struggles, triumphs, and excellence of being Black and proud.

Azuka Muoh

Nigerian-born Azuka Muoh is “Changing the Order” with surrealistic art and filmmaking. Her collage-style work depicts cultural oppression, human condition and “new masculinity”. Omuma (2021), pictured below, is the perfect addition to a library or office. (photo: @azukamuoh)

Jerin “Jerk” Beasley

After leaving New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina, Jerin Beasley experienced an indescribable pain. That pain channeled a form of self expression through his artwork. Using vivid colors, balance and positivity, Beasley is a unique and unstoppable force. (photo: @jerinthejerk)

Robert Freeman

Robert Freeman’s work draws inspiration from his childhood spent between two cultures: the Gold Coast, West Africa (now Ghana) and the East Coast of the United States. He often revisits the themes of race and culture through his personal conflict felt as African-Americans settled into middle-class life following the racial tensions of the 1960s and 1970s. (photo: @robertfreemanart)

Art by Ruth NJ

We love the divine feminine and afrocentric vibes we’re getting from Art by Ruth. Embrace your inner goddess and celebrate your ancestry with a captivating oil or acrylic painting. (photo: @artbyruth_nj)

Nanette Carter

New York-based abstract artist Nanette Carter is known today for her collages with paper, canvas, and mylar. Carter's work is recognized for its complex compositions, paintings, and drawings that directly responds to contemporary issues around war, injustices, and technology. (photo: @carter_nanette)

Nick Davis

Who knew a gift from a spouse could turn into the start of something great? Nick Davis’ battle with epilepsy limited his painting capabilities, but after his wife gifted him an iPad, Davis turned to digital art instead. His collection, Black is Beautiful, is dedicated to Black joy, culture, and strife. (photo: @ndartlife)

Paracosm

John is a 22-year old visual artist that is dazzling us with detailed portraits and an afrofuturist spark. The best part? He’s self-taught and mixes mediums, like traditional pencil and digital techniques to create some pretty dope stuff. (photo: @paracosm)

Step Up Your Art Collection with These Black Artists to Know and Follow