By Ms Jheri Worldwide
Staff Writer
From London’s National Portrait Gallery, to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and now the final stop at the North Carolina Museum of Art, the exhibition ‘The Time is Always Now: Artists Reframe the Black Figure’ has undertaken a significant and impactful journey. This powerful collection, on display in Raleigh until June 29th, arrives as a timely and essential contribution to our countries ongoing cultural dialogue. In a period marked by dramatic shifts in our nation’s infrastructure and evolving sentiments around diversity, the NCMA’s presentation of this work underscores the enduring importance of diverse artistic voices.
‘The Time is Always Now’ is not simply an exhibit; it’s a narrative that has been unfolding across continents by diasporic African artists, and its arrival here is a moment of profound relevance. I was fortunate to be guided through this stunning and thought-provoking exhibition by Chief Curator and Senior Curator of Contemporary Art Linda Dougherty and Maya Brooks Associate Curator of Contemporary Art.
Linda and Maya highlighted the experiences of the various artists. I was thrilled to see the work of Amy Sherald who painted Michelle Obama’s official portrait. Her deliberate use of the color gray for skin challenges the notion of “color-as-race.” I was completely captivated by Thomas J. Price’s work As Sounds Turn to Noise, an outstanding bronze statue of a beautiful eight foot young black woman. She was so striking, relatable, and breathtaking, everyone should stand by her. Finally, I was also over the moon to see Kimathi Donkor depict Queen Nanny in his piece Nanny of the Maroons’ Fifth Act of Mercy.
Curated by British writer and curator Ekow Eshun, ‘The Time is Always Now’ borrows the title from an essay on desegregation by American writer and activist James Baldwin. Baldwin wrote, “There is never a time in the future in which we will work out our salvation. The challenge is in the moment, the time is always now.” The Time Is Always Now: Artists Reframe the Black Figure celebrates the Black perspective of Black artists, illuminating the richness, joy, beauty, and complexity of Black life.
Eshun outlined that this exhibition serves as a counterpoint to “the ways that Black people are see in mainstream culture, for hundreds of years the Black figure has been depicted by White artists.” Ekow Eshun went on to share that through their work these artists are welcoming a shift in the dominant art history perspective from “looking at” the Black figure to “seeing through” the eyes of the Black artists and the folks they depict. This dynamic perspective empowers the viewer with a rare context and an sincere emotional connection that few contemporary exhibitions have captured. The exhibition is split into three sections Double Consciousness, Past and Presence, and Our Aliveness. Artists including Michael Armitage, Jordan Casteel, Lubaina Himid, Kerry James Marshall, Wangechi Mutu, Toyin Ojih Odutola, Amy Sherald and more.
The Time is Always Now
