Figuration, the body, and representation

1980–today

All content

Rina Banerjee, commerce out of the Earth
Rina Banerjee, commerce out of the Earth

Using found objects, Rina Banerjee illuminates the obscured histories of Black and South Asian populations in New Orleans.

Ellen Gallagher, <em>DeLuxe</em>
Ellen Gallagher, DeLuxe

Based on magazines dating from the 1930s to the 1970s aimed at African-American audiences, Gallagher's witty and sophisticated interventions emphasize the complex construction of identity.

Amy Sherald, <em>Precious Jewels by the Sea</em>
Amy Sherald, Precious Jewels by the Sea

This monumental painting of Black people at the beach speaks to a dearth of Black figures in the art history canon

Michelle Browder, <i>Mothers of Gynecology</i>
Michelle Browder, Mothers of Gynecology

This memorial honors three women who were victims of medical experimentation by the "father of gynecology"

Kehinde Wiley, <em>Rumors of War</em>
Kehinde Wiley, Rumors of War

A monumental solution, rethinking the sculpture of Richmond

Will Wilson, Critical Indigenous Photographic Exchange
Will Wilson, Critical Indigenous Photographic Exchange

Referencing the photographs of Edward Curtis, Wilson intends to produce a contemporary visual reimagining of Native American culture through his photographs.

Takashi Murakami
Takashi Murakami

In his New York City studio, Takashi Murakami discusses his three-decades-long practice in which he blends traditional and modern art techniques to create enormous paintings with a visual power unmatched in contemporary art.

Figures & Fictions: Santu Mofokeng
Figures & Fictions: Santu Mofokeng

Mofokeng lives in Johannesburg where he began his career as a photojournalist, but has long been engaged with the poetic and symbolic potential of black and white photography.

Catherine Opie, <em>Self-Portrait/Cutting</em>
Catherine Opie, Self-Portrait/Cutting

Opie has been using photography as a means of self-expression—and making friends through taking their portraits—since age nine.

Shirin Neshat, ‘Dreams Are Where Our Fears Live’
Shirin Neshat, ‘Dreams Are Where Our Fears Live’

Iranian visual artist Shirin Neshat uses film, video, and photography to explore issues of gender and identity, with a particular focus on women's relationships with religious cultural systems of Islam.

Stefanie Jackson, <em>Bluest Eye</em>
Stefanie Jackson, Bluest Eye

Taking its name from Toni Morrison's debut novel, this painting shows the clash of innocence and the adult violence of bigotry and hatred.

Selected Contributors