The Black American Artists Who Dazzled Post-War Paris

Paris in Black: Internationalism and the Black Renaissance is presented at the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center in Chicago. The exhibition spans two floors and includes more than 100 artworks from the museum’s permanent collection, featuring major paintings and sculptures. The galleries use deep plum and sky-blue hues and a red carpet floor to create a warm atmosphere. Early works include Archibald J. Motley Jr.’s “Sunday in the Park” (1941), depicting a sharply dressed couple observing a lively scene of horseback riding, balloons, stroller pushing, embraces, and other passersby. The exhibition traces the sociopolitical connections behind Black expatriation to Paris, including both aspirations for freedom and the troubling realities of escaping racism in America.

"Paris in Black: Internationalism and the Black Renaissance at the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center celebrates the painters, writers, and performers who sought freedom in the city of light and left an indelible mark on its history."

"Curated by Danny Dunson, director of curatorial affairs and arts education at The DuSable, the exhibition takes place in galleries across two floors of the museum's substantial structure and presents more than 100 artworks, including major paintings and sculptures from the institution's permanent collection."

"At its center, a sharply dressed couple leans slightly to the left, peering intently at a crew of figures enjoying a horseback ride. They stand in the midst of a busy, turquoise-colored park with rows of shrubbery and a canopy of trees above them, joined by a man holding multicolored balloons, a woman pushing a stroller, a couple resting in an embrace, and other passersby."

"From its beginning, Paris in Black maps the intricate web of sociopolitical"

Read at Hyperallergic