List of African American visual artists

Updated on Sep 29, 2024

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This list of African-American visual artists is a list that includes dates of birth and death of historically recognized African-American fine artists known for the creation of artworks that are primarily visual in nature, including traditional media such as painting, sculpture, photography, and printmaking, as well as more recent genres, including installation art, performance art, body art, conceptual art, video art, and digital art. The entries are in alphabetical order by surname.

A–B

Terry Adkins (1953–2014), artist

Mequitta Ahuja (born 1976), painter, installation artist

Larry D. Alexander (born 1953), painter

Laylah Ali (born 1968), painter

Jules T. Allen (born 1947), photographer

Tina Allen (1949–2008), sculptor

Charles Alston (1907–1977), painter

Amalia Amaki (born 1959), artist

Emma Amos (born 1938), painter

Benny Andrews (1930–2006), painter

Edgar Arceneaux (born 1972), drawing artist

Kyle Baker (born 1965), cartoonist

Matt Baker (1921–1959), comic book artist

James Presley Ball (1825–1904), photographer

Alvin Baltrop (1948-2004), photographer

Henry Bannarn (1910–1965), painter

Edward Mitchell Bannister (1828–1901), painter

Ernie Barnes (1938–2009), neo-Mannerist artist

Richmond Barthé (1901–1989), sculptor

Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960–1988), painter

C. M. Battey (1873–1927), photographer

Romare Bearden (1911–1988), painter

Arthello Beck (1941–2004), painter

Arthur P. Bedou (1882–1966), photographer

Darrin Bell (born 1975), cartoonist

Mary A. Bell (1873–1941)

Dawoud Bey (born 1953), photographer

John T. Biggers (1924–2001), muralist

Sanford Biggers (born 1970), interdisciplinary

Gene Bilbrew (1923–1974), cartoonist and fetish artist

McArthur Binion (born 1946), painter

Robert Blackburn (1920–2003), printmaker

Thomas Blackshear

Betty Blayton (born 1937), painter, printmaker

Chakaia Booker (born 1953), sculptor

Charles Boyce (born 1949), cartoonist

Tina Williams Brewer, fiber artist

Michael Bramwell (born 1953), conceptual artist

Mark Bradford (born 1961)

Frank J. Brown (born 1956), sculptor

Frederick J. Brown (1945–2012), painter

Manuelita Brown, sculptor

Robert Brown (c. 1936–2007), cartoonist

Beverly Buchanan (born 1940), painter, sculptor

Selma Burke (1900–1995), sculptor

Calvin Burnett (1921–2007), book illustrator

Pauline Powell Burns (1872–1912), painter

Robert Butler (1943–2014), painter

C–D

Frank Calloway (born 1915)

E. Simms Campbell (1906–1971), cartoonist

Fred Carter (born 1938), cartoonist

Bernie Casey (born 1939), painter

Elizabeth Catlett (1915–2012), sculptor and printmaker

Nick Cave (born 1959), performance artist

Michael Ray Charles (born 1967), painter

Barbara Chase-Riboud (born 1936), sculptor

Claude Clark (1915–2001), painter and printmaker

Edward Clark (born 1926), painter

Sonya Clark (born 1967), textile and multimedia artist

Willie Cole (born 1955), painter

Robert Colescott (1925–2009), painter

Eldzier Cortor (1916–2015), artist and printmaker

Ernest Crichlow (1914–2005), social realist artist

Allan Crite (1910–2007), painter

Emilio Cruz (1938–2004), painter

Frank E. Cummings III (born 1938), woodworker

Michael Cummings (born 1945), textile artist

Ulysses Davis (1913–1990), sculptor

Bing Davis (born 1937), potter and graphic artist

Roy DeCarava (1919–2009), photographer

Beauford Delaney (1901–1979), painter

Joseph Delaney (1904–1991)

Louis Delsarte (born 1944), artist

Thornton Dial (1928-2016)

Terry Dixon (born 1969), painter and multimedia artist

Jeff Donaldson (born 1932), painter and critic

Aaron Douglas (1899–1979), painter

Emory Douglas (born 1943), Black Panther artist

John E. Dowell Jr. (born 1941), printmaker, etcher, lithographer, and painter

David C. Driskell (born 1931), artist and scholar

Robert Scott Duncanson (1821–1872), Hudson River School

E–H

William Edmondson (1874–1951), folk art sculptor

Mel Edwards (born 1937), sculptor

Walter Ellison (1899–1977), painter

Minnie Evans (1892–1987), folk artist

Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller (1877–1968), artist

Ellen Gallagher (born 1965)

Theaster Gates (born 1973), sculptor, ceramicist, and performance artist

Herbert Gentry (1919–2003), painter

Wilda Gerideau-Squires (born 1946), photographer

Leah Gilliam (born 1967), media artist and filmmaker

Sam Gilliam (born 1933), painter

Russell T. Gordon (born 1936), printmaker

Billy Graham (1935–1999), comic book artist

Lonnie Graham, photographer and installation artist

Deborah Grant (born 1968), painter

Todd Gray (born 1954), photographer, installation and performance artist

Leamon Green (born 1959)

Renee Green (born 1959), installation artist

Mario Gully, comic book artist

Tyree Guyton (born 1955)

Ed Hamilton (born 1947), sculptor

Patrick Earl Hammie (born 1981), painter

David Hammons (born 1943), artist

Trenton Doyle Hancock (born 1974)

Edwin Harleston (1882–1931), painter

Elise Forrest Harleston (1891–1970), photographer

Kira Lynn Harris (born 1963), multidisciplinary

John Wesley Hardrick (1891–1948), painter

Jerry Harris (born 1945), sculptor

Lawrence Harris, painter

Marren Hassenger (born 1947), sculptor, installation, performance

Palmer Hayden (1893–1973), painter

Barkley Hendricks (born 1945), painter

George Herriman (1880–1944), cartoonist

Alvin Hollingsworth (1928–2000), illustrator, painter

William Howard (active 19th century), American woodworker and craftsman

Bryce Hudson (born 1979), painter, sculptor

Julien Hudson (1811–1844), painter, sculptor

David Huffman (born 1963), painter

Richard Hunt (born 1935), sculptor

Clementine Hunter (1886/7–1988), folk artist

J–O

Steffani Jemison (born 1981), performance artist, video artist

Wadsworth Jarrell (born 1929), painter, sculptor

Annette P. Jimerson (born 1966), painter

Joshua Johnson (c.1763–c.1824), portrait painter and folk artist

Malvin Gray Johnson (1896–1934), painter

Rashid Johnson (born 1977), conceptual artist

Sargent Johnson (1888–1967), sculptor

William H. Johnson (1902–1970)

Calvin B. Jones (1934-2010), painter, muralist

Jennie C. Jones (born 1968), multidisciplinary

Lois Mailou Jones (1905–1998), painter

Titus Kaphar (born 1976), painter

Gwendolyn Knight (1914–2005), artist

Jacob Lawrence (1917–2000), painter

Deana Lawson (born 1979), photographer

Hughie Lee-Smith (1915–1999), artist

Edmonia Lewis (c. 1843–1879), artist

Norman Lewis (1909–1979), painter

Glenn Ligon (born 1960), painter

Llanakila, artist, painter, digital illustrator, and digital artist

Edward L. Loper, Sr. (1916–2011), painter

Whitfield Lovell (born 1960), artist

Gwendolyn Ann Magee (1943–2011), artist, quilter

Clarence Major (born 1936), painter

Kerry James Marshall (born 1955), painter

Eugene J. Martin (1938–2005), painter

Valerie Maynard (born 1937), sculptor, printmaker, painter

Ealy Mays (born 1959), painter

Howard McCalebb (born 1947), artist

Corky McCoy, illustrator

Charles McGill (born 1964), artist, educator

Julie Mehretu (born 1970), painter, printmaker

Nicole Miller (born 1982), video artist

Dean Mitchell (born 1957), painter

Scipio Moorhead (active 1770s), painter

Archibald Motley (1891–1981), painter

Gus Nall, painter

Harold Newton (1934–1994), artist

Lorraine O'Grady (born 1934), conceptual artist

Turtel Onli (born 1952), cartoonist

Jackie Ormes (1911–1985), cartoonist

John Outterbridge (born 1933), assemblage artist

Joe Overstreet (born 1933), artist

P–S

Gordon Parks (1912–2006), photographer, director

Delilah Pierce (1904 – 1992), artist

Earle M. Pilgrim (1923–1976), artist

Howardena Pindell (born 1943), painter

Jerry Pinkney (born 1939), illustrator

Adrian Piper (born 1948), conceptual artist

Rose Piper (1917-2005), painter and textile designer

Horace Pippin (1888–1946), painter

P. H. Polk (1898–1984), photographer

Carl Robert Pope (born 1961), photographer

William Pope.L (born 1955) conceptual artist

Harriet Powers (1837–1910), folk artist

Martin Puryear (born 1941), sculptor

Patrick H. Reason (1816–1898)

Earle Wilton Richardson (1912–1935), artist

Faith Ringgold (born 1930), painter

Haywood Rivers (1922–2001), painter

Arthur Rose Sr. (1921–1995), multidisciplinary

Bayeté Ross Smith (born 1976), photographer

Alison Saar (born 1956), artist

Betye Saar (born 1926), artist

Charles Sallee (1923–2006), painter

Reginald Sanders (1921-2001), visual artist

Raymond Saunders, painter

Augusta Savage (1892–1962), sculptor

John T. Scott (1940–2007), artist

Joyce J. Scott (born 1948), sculptor

Lorenzo Scott (born 1934), painter

William Edouard Scott (1884–1964), painter

Charles Sebree (1914–1985), painter

Thomas Sills (1914–2000), painter

Gary Simmons (born 1964), artist

Lorna Simpson (born 1960), artist

Merton Simpson (1928–2013), painter

William Simpson (1818–1872), portrait painter

Cauleen Smith (born 1967), filmmaker

Leslie Smith III (born 1985), painter

Gilda Snowden (1954–2014)

Mitchell Squire (born 1958), American installation artist, sculptor and performance artist

Raymond Steth (1916–1997)

Renee Stout (born 1958), artist

Martine Syms (born 1988), artist

T–Z

Henry Ossawa Tanner (1859–1937), artist

Margaret Taylor-Burroughs (1915–2010)

Alma Thomas (1891–1978), painter

Mickalene Thomas (born 1971), painter and installation artist

Bob Thompson (1937–1966), painter

Mildred Thompson (1935–2003), abstract painter, printmaker and sculptor

Dox Thrash (1892–1962), printmaker, sculptor

Bill Traylor (1856–1949)

Henry Taylor (born 1958) painter

Morrie Turner (1923–2014), cartoonist

James Van Der Zee (1886–1983), photographer

Kara Walker (born 1969), artist

William Walker (1927–2011), Chicago muralist

Laura Wheeler Waring (1887–1948), painter

E. M. Washington (born 1962), printmaker and counterfeiter

James W. Washington, Jr. (1908–2000), painter and sculptor

Carrie Mae Weems (born 1953), photographer

Pheoris West

Charles Wilbert White (1918–1979), muralist

Jack Whitten (born 1939), painter

Kehinde Wiley (born 1977), painter

William T. Williams (born 1942), painter

Deborah Willis (born 1948), photographer

Ellis Wilson (1899–1977), painter

Fred Wilson (born 1954), conceptual artist

John Woodrow Wilson (1922–2015), sculptor

Beulah Woodard (1895–1955), sculptor

Hale Woodruff (1900–1980), painter

Richard Wyatt, Jr., (born 1955), painter, muralist

Richard Yarde (1939–2011), watercolorist

Joseph Yoakum (1890–1972), self-taught landscape artist

Purvis Young (1943–2010), artist

Artist groups

The Highwaymen

AfriCOBRA

Where We At

References

List of African-American visual artists Wikipedia

(Text) CC BY-SA

Contents

A–B

C–D

E–H

J–O

P–S

T–Z

Artist groups

References