A powerful Black Power pose takes center stage in Kerry James Marshall's "The Academy" (2012), the opening piece of the American artist's groundbreaking retrospective at London's Royal Academy of Arts. The work features a male life model with his clenched fist raised defiantly in the air, embodying Marshall's deep engagement with educational institutions and their historical significance. According to Mark Godfrey, the exhibition's co-curator, this piece perfectly demonstrates Marshall's interest in the academy as a place of learning, making it particularly fitting for the Royal Academy, which houses both a prestigious art school and one of the world's oldest life modeling studios.
"The Histories," conceived through collaboration between Godfrey, Marshall himself, and Adrian Locke, the Royal Academy's chief curator, represents Marshall's largest European exhibition to date. The timing coincides with the artist's 70th birthday celebration, making this retrospective a significant milestone in his career. Following its London run, the exhibition will travel to prestigious venues including Kunsthaus Zurich and the Musee d'Art Moderne in Paris, bringing Marshall's work to international audiences.
The exhibition's title reflects the complex, layered nature of Marshall's artistic practice, which weaves together multiple historical narratives including the history of painting itself, African heritage, and transatlantic experiences. Early works like "A Portrait of the Artist as a Shadow of His Former Self" (1980) and "Invisible Man" (1986) can be interpreted as commentary on historically constructed racial identity. Through Marshall's masterful handling of Blackness in paint, these works push figurative representation to the very edge of abstraction, creating powerful visual statements about visibility and identity.
Among the exhibition's highlights is "De Style" (1993), a work whose title cleverly references both a neighborhood barbershop in Los Angeles where Marshall spent part of his childhood and the Dutch art movement De Stijl. This dual reference is reinforced through Marshall's prominent use of the movement's signature primary colors, creating a dialogue between personal history and art historical movements. The piece exemplifies Marshall's ability to blend autobiography with broader cultural references.
Marshall's works from the 2010s demonstrate increasing complexity and cryptic qualities, filled with elaborate citations and references that reward careful examination. According to Godfrey, the continued relevance of Marshall's painting lies in these multiple layers and complexities, as well as the meticulously crafted and intentional nature of his compositions. Each element is deliberately placed to create meaning and spark conversation about art history and representation.
"School of Beauty, School of Culture" (2012) stands as a monumental example of Marshall's sophisticated approach to art historical references. This enormous painting depicts a richly decorated beauty salon with walls adorned with posters advertising Black beauty alongside a Chris Ofili exhibition at Tate Britain. The work features an anamorphic projection of a blonde woman's head that pays homage to Hans Holbein's "The Ambassadors," while a flash of light in the mirror echoes Diego Velazquez's masterpiece "Las Meninas." These references demonstrate Marshall's deep knowledge of art history and his ability to recontextualize classic works within contemporary Black experiences.
The exhibition will occupy the Royal Academy's main galleries, continuing a recent programming trend that dedicates the autumn slot to major contemporary artists. This initiative, as Locke explains, aims to spotlight long-established careers while also celebrating recent artistic developments. The program has previously featured Royal Academicians like Michael Craig-Martin, and now includes Marshall as an honorary Academician, recognizing his significant contributions to contemporary art.
Marshall will debut eight new paintings in this retrospective, each work exploring previously underacknowledged episodes of African history and the transatlantic slave trade. These new pieces continue his mission to bring hidden or overlooked historical narratives into the spotlight through the medium of painting. The artist's entire body of work functions as what many consider a wake-up call for contemporary painting, demonstrating the medium's continued potential to create spaces where relationships between past and present become subjects for fresh narrative possibilities.
The exhibition "Kerry James Marshall: the Histories" will run at the Royal Academy of Arts in London from September 20, 2025, through January 18, 2026, offering visitors an extensive opportunity to engage with one of America's most important contemporary artists and his revolutionary approach to art history and representation.
