Egyptian culture has profoundly influenced African and Black art, serving as a reference point for Black artists worldwide. It has been a source of inspiration for African and African American artists. The Met Museum explores this connection in Flight into Egypt: Black Artists and Ancient Egypt, examining the deep ties between the African Diaspora and ancient Egypt. This extensive body of work includes celebrating ancient Egypt in various art forms, such as painting, sculpture, print media, performance, music videos, and historical publications.
(80 × 60 cm). Image courtesy of The Met Museum.
Curated by Akili Tommasino, Flight into Egypt: Black Artists and Ancient Egypt features a broad collection from the Met and other international donors, spanning works from 1876 to the present. The title Flight into Egypt serves as a metaphor for Black and African artists in the diaspora who have sustained the interest in ancient Egyptian art. Egypt has been a reference point and a creative refuge for Black artists globally.
This extensive exhibition is divided into different sections. The first gallery celebrates the works of three prominent Black American artists who moved to Europe in the late 1990s. One standout piece in this section is Barbara Chase–Riboud’s Cleopatra’s Chair (1994). This gold-plated chair reflects her transformative journey when visiting Egypt in 1958. This was the first time she encountered non-European art, and she was captivated by Egyptian art’s elegance and distinct features. She contrasted it with the classical art of ancient Greece and Rome, which she described as “like pastry” in comparison. Inspired by Egyptian aesthetics and principles, she began a series that honours Cleopatra.
Another section, The Egyptology and the Color Line, features works by Black and African scholars who have challenged the perception of ancient Egypt as a proto-European culture. These materials reflect their efforts to counter dominant narratives, advocate for cultural reformation, and restore Egypt’s place within Africa. Notably, Egyptian Blue, a pigment submitted by Dr George Washington Carver, was renamed in 1923 after discovering the tombs of Tutankhamun, Egypt, which had the same colour.
The Heritage Gallery showcases works by 20th- and 21st-century Egyptian artists who engage with Egyptian themes. This section steers away from Western colonial and anthropological perspectives, instead focusing on how Egyptian artists have lived, understood their communities, and asserted continuities with ancient Egypt. Through evocative sculptures, films, prints, and magazines, these artists question the stewardship of ancient Egypt in the modern era. A key piece is Hope – I Am a Morning Tarab, a commissioned work by Egyptian artist Armia Malak Khalil (born 1979), which explores themes of ancient Egyptian beauty.
Armia Malak Khalil.
Wood.22 × 1655.9 × 40.6 × 35.6 cm, 10.9 kg. Image courtesy of The Met Museum.
Julie Mehretu‘s work also draws inspiration from the symbolic significance of ancient Egypt within the African diaspora. The section titled Pilgrimage and the Diaspora explores the connections between ancient Egypt and African artists in the diaspora. In many ways, ancient Egypt serves as a point of reference for Africans both on the continent and in the diaspora.
A highlight of the exhibition is the Performance Pyramid, dedicated to performance art within the display of contemporary art. Additionally, three more works at New York City’s MTA subway stations are a part of the exhibition. Existing outside of the allowing them to exist in live settings of the everyday lives of their audiences.
This multifaceted exhibition celebrates Egypt as a foundational origin for culture, civilization, and religion across the globe.
The exhibition catalogue is available here.
