When We See Us: A Century of Black Figuration in Painting at Zeitz MOCAA

Black figures have been portrayed in a multitude of ways by artists, authors, and thinkers worldwide. As the African art industry continues to grow, the “When We See Us” exhibition sheds light on a decade of paintings by African artists. The exhibition delves into how these artists represent African identities in their work.

The exhibition celebrates the work of Black and African artists who have portrayed, commemorated, affirmed, and situated African and African descent experiences. It is an important contribution to the ongoing discussions on black liberation, intellectual thought, and black artistic movements of the century. The exhibition’s title draws inspiration from Ava DuVernay’s Netflix series, “When They See Us.” By using the word “we,” the exhibition centers the conversation on a collective perspective, highlighting the significance of African identities

The exhibition, designed by Wolff Architects, showcases more than 200 works from the African diaspora that have been collected from private and public art institutions. It focuses on themes of sensuality, triumph, emancipation, joy and revelry, and response. Black artists have increasingly depicted black subjects in their work over the last century. This exhibition provides a deeper historical comparison of these works, creating a genealogy of underrepresented African and black modernities. It also highlights the relationship between different artists and artworks across different conceptual contexts and geographical backgrounds, referred to as “parallel aesthetics” by lead curator Koyo Kouoh.

Some of the featured artists include Njideka Akunyili Crosby, Zandile Tshabalala, Jacob Lawrence, Chéri Samba, Danielle McKinney, Archibald Motley, Ben Enwonwu, Kingsley Sambo, Sungi Mlengeya, Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, Cyprien Tokoudagba, Amy Sherald, Mmapula Mmakgabo Helen Sebidi, Joy Labinjo, and more. The exhibition includes a poetic catalogue by Thames and Hudson in collaboration with Zeitz MOCAA, edited by Kouoh. Additionally, it features a contextual essay by co-curator Tandazani Dhakama and commissioned texts by four acclaimed female writers from Senegal, Ethiopia, the DRC, and the United States..

“When We See Us”: A Century of Black Figuration in Painting is an exhibition that explores the representation of black figures, global black subjects, and overall consciousness about black subjects in Africa and across Pan-African diasporas. It features works from the last century by African artists working globally, as well as dialogues with renowned black writers, poets, and thinkers who understand the use of black figures in different bodies of work. The exhibition also includes a Sonic translation accompanied by Neo Muyanga and a discursive program that provides a theoretical frame of the project through a multivocal webinar series.

This exhibition examines how Africans show their subjects subject to decades of spiritual influences in our culture, the effects of colonization and slavery, sexuality and sensuality, and how we experience joy. The exhibition, which started on November 22nd and runs until September 23rd, 2023, is accessible virtually, allowing attendees to participate in interactive conversations and immersive exhibitions that connect our history as Africans to the contemporary world we live in today