A seismic new exhibition is set to ignite conversation at the Royal Academy of Arts this autumn. Acclaimed American artist Kerry James Marshall, renowned for centring Black figures in his work, turns his gaze to a deeply complex and unsettling chapter of history: Black slave owners in America.
Marshall's latest show, opening in September 2025, promises to be a thought-provoking examination of a subject often omitted from mainstream historical accounts. The artist forces a confrontation with the uncomfortable reality that some Black individuals in antebellum America also participated in the institution of slavery.
Challenging the Dominant Narrative
The exhibition aims to dismantle simplistic binaries of American history. By highlighting this nuanced and painful aspect of the past, Marshall challenges viewers to move beyond a straightforward oppressor-versus-oppressed narrative. His work suggests that the mechanisms of power and oppression were, at times, more convoluted.
This focus continues Marshall's lifelong project of inserting Black presence and experience into the heart of artistic and historical discourse. The Royal Academy provides a prestigious and powerful platform for this challenging conversation.
A Bold Curatorial Statement
Staging such an exhibition in a major London institution like the Royal Academy is a significant curatorial decision. It signals a commitment to presenting art that does not shy away from difficult truths and encourages a more profound, albeit uncomfortable, public dialogue about race, power, and complicity.
The show is expected to feature a series of new paintings and works on paper created specifically for this exhibition. Marshall's signature use of rich, dark pigments and powerful figurative compositions will be employed to explore this morally ambiguous terrain.
Art critics and historians are anticipating that the exhibition will not only be a major artistic event but also a significant cultural moment, prompting necessary discussions about how history is remembered and who is included in its telling.
