#black-identity

#black-identity

Nothing sparks the imagination quite like coming across a trove of old photographs. We look for writing on the reverse and scan the anonymous faces to read a range of expressions. Where exactly they were at that moment, what brought them together that day, and who took the picture? For Stan Squirewell, the allure of historical portraits is a central tenet of his multimedia practice.

Whether portraying families at play, people walking along urban streets, or portraits of individuals, Derrick Adams celebrates Black identity and experience. His collage-like compositions evoke West African masks, reliquary figures, and other carved sculptures, highlighting contemporary, everyday scenes and leisure activities of Black Americans. A new monograph from Monicelli surveys more than two decades of Adams' geometric paintings, made in his signature multihued, faceted style. Derrick Adams is the first monograph to survey the artist's entire career, tracing his stylistic evolution and the themes that recur throughout his paintings.

The Histories, an exhibition conceived by Godfrey in collaboration with Marshall and Adrian Locke, the RA's chief curator, is Marshall's largest show to date in Europe and is timed to celebrate his 70th birthday. After London, it will travel to Kunsthaus Zürich and the Musée d'Art Moderne in Paris. The exhibition's title speaks to the layered histories in Marshall's work, to the history of painting as well as African and transatlantic history.

The paintings in Be Your Own Cool are contemplative offerings that nurture the individuality of each subject while evoking a sense of intimacy.

Jafa's work is a rich jumping-off point for Cyrus Goberville, the head of cultural programs at the Bourse de Commerce, whose role entails curating live music events that reflect the artists' influence.