London’s National Portrait Gallery Spotlights Black Artists Redefining the Black Figure Experience

The exhibition ‘The Time is Always Now: Artists Reframe the Black Figure’ at London’s National Portrait Gallery is a significant showcase of 22 artists of African descent, primarily from the UK and the US. The artists present their subjects as historical figures, reflections of global events, and contemporary individuals living their lives, providing a nuanced perspective on the Black experience.

Curator Ekow Eshun notes the exhibition’s timeliness, coinciding with a period where Black artists are gaining international recognition and celebrating their proficiency. The show not only marks this moment but also invites viewers to explore Black lived experiences, identity, presence, and history through the eyes of the artists and their subjects.

The artworks offer a fresh lens on historical events, with paintings like Kimathi Donkor’s ‘Nanny of the Maroons Fifth Act of Mercy’ portraying an 18th-century Jamaican Maroon leader. Donkor uses contemporary models, including his wife, to blend Black history with present-day individuals, connecting past activism and the contemporary struggle against systemic issues.

The exhibition challenges historical representations of Black figures in Western art, where white artists often dominated, portraying Black people in subservient roles or as ‘curiosities.’ Eshun emphasizes the importance of reframing these narratives to include the perspectives of Black artists and central figures in their works. The exhibition, spanning the 21st century, highlights the shift in representation over time.

Works like ‘As Sound Turns to Noise’ by Thomas J. Price showcase a modern reinterpretation of classical sculpture, placing a Black figure at the center. The exhibition serves as an important step in recognizing and promoting Black perspectives in art, acknowledging the progress made while recognizing there is still work to be done.

‘The Time is Always Now: Artists Reframe the Black Figure’ will be displayed at the National Portrait Gallery until May 19.