Two Shows at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Remind Us There’s No Time Like the Present
In an era marked by an extraordinary flourishing of depictions of Black lives and a long-overdue appreciation of their significance, “The Time Is Always Now: Artists Reframe the Black Figure” at the Philadelphia Museum of Art not only consolidates achievements born out of the aftermath of the Black Lives Matter movement but also ventures further. The show interrogates how Black people are seen and represented and celebrates contemporary Black figuration while reframing it within the broader context of Western art history
The twenty-eight Black and African diasporic artists in this exhibition reject the objectification or instrumentalization of their subjects, instead creating portraits imbued with vitality and pure human beauty, demanding a shift in how we see. “From looking at the Black figure via an external objectifying gaze to seeing the yes of Black artists and the figures they depict,” is how curator Ekow Eshun puts it. The result is a striking exploration of humanity that transcends race, illustrating how racial identity is a construct shaped by social and political forces while foregrounding our shared human experience—complete with its universal fears, hopes and existential questions.
Historically, Euro-American depictions of Black bodies have marginalized, distorted or erased their presence altogether. In sharp contrast, the artists featured here reclaim Blackness through a deeply subjective and psychological lens, crafting works that are simultaneously intimate and universal. These portrayals challenge viewers to see beyond race and recognize Black figures as individuals with fully realized lives—not as “others,” but as human beings central to the broader human narrative. The show is unapologetically celebratory, steering clear of morbidity or any notion of Blackness as a point of difference, instead emphasizing shared humanity and resilience.
SEE ALSO: Observer’s Guide to the Must-See Museum Shows of 2025
Along the way, “The Time Is Always Now” dives into key themes of Black figuration, particularly the reinvention of traditional painting practices while embedding these works in an evolving artistic lineage and universal art history. The title itself—melding “always” and “now”—captures the exhibition’s ambition to bridge historical and contemporary narratives, defying the constraints of societal and cultural constructions of race.
Originally staged at the National Portrait Gallery in London, this iteration of the exhibition expands in scope, with additional artists joining the roster in Philadelphia. Despite this growth, the show retains its transatlantic focus, amplifying the voices of U.S. and UK-based artists who collectively assert the urgency of Black representation as an essential and inextricable part of art history’s ongoing story.
The exhibition unfolds across sections that explore the multifaceted dimensions in which Black figuration operates historically and culturally. The first, “Double Consciousness,” features works by Michael Armitage, Noah Davis and Kerry James Marshall, among others, that delve into the psychological complexities of Blackness. These pieces challenge the duality of belonging and estrangement, examining identity on a psychological rather than ontological level. The section borrows its title from a term coined by W.E.B. Du Bois in 1897—not 1987—to describe the experience of a Black individual existing physically within yet psychologically outside society. Kerry James Marshall’s portraits embody this tension with an arresting intensity, as his subjects confront viewers directly with gazes that reject duality and assert their presence. Marshall’s use of deliberately non-naturalistic, deeply dark skin tones unpacks “Blackness” as a construct shaped by cultural and societal stereotypes rather than inherent reality. As he remarked, “They are black to demonstrate that blackness can have complexity. Depth. Richness.”
Similarly, Amy Sherald’s signature use of grisaille-like shades of gray defies conventional representations of skin color. By removing color connotation, her work creates ambiguous complexions that challenge stereotypes while grounding her figures in the tradition of Western art history. Her references to Gothic color palettes, as seen in Giotto’s frescoes or Hieronymus Bosch’s paintings, reframe Black subjects within a lineage traditionally dominated by Eurocentric narratives.
In the second section, “Past and Present,” artists such as Godfried Donkor, Kimathi Donkor and Barbara Walker grapple with the absence and distortion of Black representation in Western art history. These works revisit historical paintings and art canons to disrupt and critique the traditional representations imposed by the white gaze. Barbara Walker’s Vanishing Point (2018-) exemplifies this approach by erasing white figures from classical Western paintings housed in major museums, bringing the marginalized Black subjects into sharper focus. Her work draws attention to the historical exclusion and devaluation of Black figures in art history, subverting the dominance of whiteness in these iconic pieces. Lubaina Himid also addresses the legacy of tradition with a critical eye, blending visual elements, hidden narratives and collective memory in what she calls “re-remembered” history painting. Her work commemorates overlooked historical events while creating space for new perspectives, challenging the ways traditional history painting has perpetuated exclusionary narratives.
The final section, “Our Aliveness,” delivers some of the exhibition’s most powerful visual statements, celebrating the universality and humanity of Black life. This segment presents artworks that capture moments of joy, kinship, and social connection, emphasizing the everyday vibrancy of Black lives as simply human lives. Lynette Yiadom-Boakye’s subjects embody a profound sense of ‘normality,’ with ordinary movements and gestures rendered in nuanced tonalities of brown and blue that merge seamlessly into the dark complexion of her figures. Her characters exist beyond the confines of the white gaze, liberated and self-possessed.
Similarly, Njideka Akunyili Crosby’s layered photo-transfer and collage paintings chronicle moments of intimacy, family ties, and affection, celebrating the layered, cosmopolitan nature of the diasporic experience. Her works explore the interplay between the culture of one’s home country and that of a new environment, depicting lives permanently suspended between worlds yet grounded in love and connection. Henry Taylor’s paintings, infused with the energy of pop culture and everyday life, honor the richness of Black existence through portraits of the communities closest to him, capturing their spirit and resilience. A reflection by writer Ta-Nehisi Coates, cited in the exhibition catalog, encapsulates the ethos of this section: “They made us into race. We made ourselves into a people.”
The exhibition’s greatest triumph lies in its refusal to limit itself to the framework of identity politics. Instead, it champions a humanist vision, promoting equality and shared humanity. By inviting viewers to consider art history through an expansive lens, the show transcends racial divisions and underscores our collective journey in the evolution of civilization, reminding us of the commonalities that bind us all.
Also on view at the Philadelphia Museum of Art is “What Times Are These?,” which delves into how different artistic languages respond to and resist moments of crisis—much like the ones we find ourselves navigating today. The artists featured in this show wield art as a vehicle for empathy and universality, crafting political truths and critical commentaries that challenge the culture of imposed silence. Through their work, they interrogate contemporary citizenship, freedom and rights with a sharp, unflinching lens.
Few artists exemplify the fusion of art and activism as vividly as Jenny Holzer. Her 1981 piece It Takes… delivers a blistering critique of the new wealth flooding Wall Street during that era, unflinchingly highlighting its drastic effects on economic dynamics and the gentrification it fueled. Nearby, Philadelphia-based artist Jan American takes a more playful yet equally incisive approach. Her City Flora/City Flotsam series (2000) transforms crack vials into wallpaper, a chilling reminder of the debris left in the wake of urbanization and construction, underscoring the disparities such progress often ignores.
But the exhibition’s most hypnotic work might be Silent (2016), a film by Pauline Boudry and Renate Lorenz featuring Venezuelan vocalist Aérea Negrot. The performance riffs on John Cage’s infamous 4’33” (1952), presenting Negrot in a rigorously silent yet visually captivating display. The video runs on a loop, with Negrot’s orchestrated gestures seductively engaging the viewer, proving that even silence brims with meaning and subtext.
Taking its critique beyond the confines of the galleries, the exhibition occupies the Great Stair Hall with Steve McQueen’s iconic video installation Static (2009). Filmed from a helicopter, the 35mm video meticulously examines the Statue of Liberty, an emblem of freedom and equality, during its reopening after an eight-year closure following 9/11. Played on an endless loop, the film’s persistent gaze dissects the statue, exposing the tensions between the ideals it symbolizes and the stark realities of contemporary America.
“The Time Is Always Now” is at the Philadelphia Museum of Art through February 9. “What Times Are These?” continues through March 16.