Black Figurative Painters on the Rise

Black artists are leading the field of contemporary figurative painting. This year, over a dozen museum exhibitions will showcase black artists who have expanded the boundaries of portraiture, including Lynette Yiadom-Boakye at the Tate Britain, Tschabalala Self at ICA Boston, Jacob Lawrence at Met Breuer, Toyin Ojih Odutola at Barbican, Christina Quarles at MCA Chicago, and Jordan Casteel at the New Museum. Below, discover standout works to collect by over 100 black figurative painters across the globe, from recent Yale University School of Art graduate Tajh Rust to 20th-century Harlem Renaissance pioneer Beauford Delaney.