Meet 3 Trailblazing Black Female Visual Artists

Black female artists have been very involved in the shaping of the USA’s optical culture for centuries with many of these incredible talents going mostly unrecognized.

Thankfully, art audiences are becoming increasingly interested in creative diversity.

Earlier this year, Simone Leigh became the first-ever Black female artist to represent the USA at the Venice Biennale.

She is just one of many astounding Black female artists who have been paving the way for artists of color from across the globe.

In addition to Leigh, let’s also celebrate two other women who have made a name for themselves in creative arts.

Simone Leigh Explores Societal Concerns

Born in 1967 in Chicago, Simone Leigh is considered one of the most monumental artists of our time.

Leigh, who resides in NYC, is best known for her videos, sculptures, and public art installations that unapologetically explore a range of societal concerns.

Her work not only depicts historical and current-day racism but other common experiences of Black women as well.

Her sculptures of women tend to have certain features, such as eyes, lips, and ears missing – perhaps as a symbol of unspoken defiance or as a makeshift defense mechanism. 

Self-preservation and healing also play a big part in her art that has been showcased everywhere from the Studio Museum in Harlem and the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art to the Tate Modern in London and now the Venice Biennale in Italy.

Kara Walker’s Silhouettes Tell a Powerful Story

Powerful stories can be told by capturing the human form on paper.

Whether it is the detailed drawing of an eye or a monochrome silhouette of marginalized people, artists like Kara Walker know how to captivate an audience.

Like Leigh, California-born Walker’s art depicts racism and general historical displacement.

Widely considered to currently be one of the most recognized American artists, Walker is also known for her paintings, prints, sculptures, drawings, and public installations in addition to her impactful silhouettes.

Many of her works depict scenes from the Antebellum South. Some of her most notable pieces include Darkytown Rebellion (2001), A Subtlety, or the Marvelous Sugar Baby (2014), and Resurrection Story with Patrons (2017).

Tariqa Waters is Larger than Life

A Virginia native, Tariqa Waters is known for her larger-than-life, somewhat outlandish self-portraits, paintings, installations, and fabrications. 

She makes use of a multitude of media such as canvas, plastics, wood, photographs, paint, and ceramics when creating her striking pieces.

Waters’ bright and bold work has been extensively featured in a multitude of galleries and publications including the Frye Art Museum, the Hedreen Gallery, the Seattle Art Museum, and Rolling Stone France and Madame Figaro magazines.

Her recognition reached new heights in 2020 when her exhibition entitles Yellow No.5 debuted at the esteemed Bellevue Arts Museum in Washington.

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Black female artists have been at the forefront of visual culture in the USA for centuries.

It is only in the past few years, however, that these phenomenal artists have started to receive the recognition they so rightfully deserve.