Kerry James Marshall, School of Beauty, School of Culture, 2012. Birmingham Museum of Art, Alabama. © Kerry James Marshall. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York. Photo: Sean Pathasema.
Internationally acclaimed artist Kerry James Marshall (b. 1955), is one of the most important painters working right now. His vivid and mostly large-scale paintings place the Black figure front and centre. Marshall builds upon the Western tradition of history painting and makes visible those people who were so noticeably absent in the works that came before him. His powerful paintings are full of references which span art history, civil rights, comics, science fiction, his own memories and more, using these to comment on the past, celebrate everyday life and imagine more optimistic futures.
This ARTscapades talk looks at 'Kerry James Marshall: The Histories', the major exhibition now on at the Royal Academy of Arts and the first chance for many to experience his works in the UK. Guest curator Mark Godfrey walks us through the 11 rooms of the show with installation images, and discuss how the show came about, why it is structured into 11 cycles of work, and what the title 'The Histories' suggests. He will also discuss his long-standing relationship with Kerry James Marshall and the research he has done over the past 10 years, and why Marshall is considered one of the most important artists working today.
Kerry James Marshall: The Histories is at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, from 20 September 2025 to 18 January 2026. The exhibition Audio Guide is funded by ARTscapades.
This event will be recorded. Ticket holders are emailed a link to view the recording afterwards which is available for one month. Proceeds from ARTscapades ticket sales benefit museums, galleries and other arts-based organisations and projects.
This is an online event hosted on Zoom which can be watched live with Q&A, or on-demand for one month afterwards. You will receive your link to access the event in your email confirmation and the on-demand link after the event ends.