KERRY JAMES MARSHALL

The Histories Royal Academy of Arts 20 September 2025–18 January 2026 London

Press Release

This Autumn, be moved by Kerry James Marshall’s paintings of African American life; full of colour, life, power and soul. Internationally acclaimed artist Kerry James Marshall is one of the most important painters working right now.

His vivid and mostly large-scale paintings place the Black figure front and centre. Marshall builds upon the Western tradition of history painting and makes visible those people who were so noticeably absent in the works that came before him.

These powerful paintings are full of references which span art history, civil rights, comics, science fiction, his own memories and more. He uses these to comment on the past, celebrate everyday life and imagine more optimistic futures.

This exhibition of his paintings will be the largest outside of the US, and the first chance for many to experience his works in the UK.

See 70 works including his monumental commission from the Chicago Public Library, Knowledge and Wonder (1995), which has never been loaned before.

About the Artist

Kerry James Marshall is an American painter, printmaker, and sculptor recognised for foregrounding Black subjects in contemporary art, transforming the narrative of Western painting to centre experiences historically omitted from the canon.

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Also Exhibiting at Royal Academy of Arts

All Exhibitions

GROUP EXHIBITION Painting the French Riviera Royal Academy of Arts 2 October 2026–31 January 2027 London

GROUP EXHIBITION Peggy Guggenheim in London: The Making of a Collector Royal Academy of Arts 21 November 2026–14 March 2027 London

REMBRANDT Rembrandt: Radical Printmaker Royal Academy of Arts 9 April–19 September 2027 London

Summer Exhibition 2027 Royal Academy of Arts 18 May–15 August 2027 London

About the Gallery

The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is a historic art institution based at Burlington House on Piccadilly in London’s Mayfair, a short walk from Green Park and Piccadilly Circus. Founded in 1768, it has a unique status as an independent, privately funded, artist‑led institution dedicated to promoting the creation, enjoyment, and appreciation of the visual arts. The RA is home to Britain’s longest‑established art school, the Royal Academy Schools, and is renowned for championing both art and architecture through exhibitions, teaching, and public debate.

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Address

Burlington House, Piccadilly
London
United Kingdom

Opening Hours

Tuesday – Sunday
10am – 6pm

Fridays
10am – 9pm

Closed Mondays

Royal Academy of Arts

Burlington House, Piccadilly, London, United Kingdom

+44 20 7300 8090
http://www.royalacademy.org.uk

Opening hours

Tuesday – Sunday
10am – 6pm

Fridays
10am – 9pm

Closed Mondays

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