Black Refractions: Highlights from The Studio Museum in Harlem

An authoritative guide to one of the world's most important collections of Black art, with works by artists from Romare Bearden to Kehinde Wiley.

The works featured in Black Refractions, including those by Norman Lewis, Kerry James Marshall, Wangechi Mutu, Faith Ringgold, Lorna Simpson, and Nari Ward, are drawn from the renowned collection of The Studio Museum in Harlem. Through exhibitions, public programs, artist residencies, and bold acquisitions, this pioneering institution has served as a nexus for artists of African descent locally, nationally, and internationally since its founding in 1968. Rather than aim to construct a single history of "Black art," Black Refractions emphasizes a plurality of narratives and approaches, traced through 125 works in all media from the 1930s to the present.

An essay by Connie H. Choi and entries by Taylor Aldridge, Eliza A. Butler, Daniela Fifi, Larry Ossei Mensah, Akili Tommasino, and other luminaries contextualize the works and provide detailed commentary. A dialogue between Thelma Golden, Connie H. Choi, and Kellie Jones draws out themes and challenges in collecting and exhibiting modern and contemporary art by artists of African descent. More than a document of a particular institution's trailblazing path, or catalytic role in the development of American appreciation for works by Black artists, this volume is a compendium of a vital art tradition.

Hardcover, 232 Pages