A Brief History of Black British Art

Critic and curator Rianna Jade Parker’s A Brief History of Black British Art reveals the story of Black artists of African and Caribbean descent and their major contributions to the British art scene.

Black artists in Britain have long been making major contributions to art history. While some of these artists have been embraced at times by the art world, for the most part they have not received the recognition they deserve.

Taking as its starting point the London-based Caribbean Artists Movement, this concise introduction showcases the work of over 60 Black British artists from the 1960s until the present. The works included here offer a lens through which to understand and contextualize the political and cultural climate, while shedding light on the unique Black British experience. Constructed around contemporary thoughts on race, nationhood, citizenship, gender, class, sexuality, and aesthetics in Britain, this book explores themes at the heart of Black British Art.

At a time when representation of Black artists and the interrogation of the ethics of the art world have taken on a renewed urgency, this is a timely and accessible publication that celebrates Black artists in Britain and their outstanding contribution to art and global culture.

Includes color illustrations

Rianna Jade Parker is a critic, curator, and researcher based in South London where she received her MA in contemporary art theory at Goldsmiths College, University of London. She is a founding member of interdisciplinary art collective Thick/er Black Lines* and is a contributing editor of Frieze. Parker also co-runs the collaborative platform Lonely Londoners, explicitly devoted to building visibility for artists of color and their practices.