Kerry James Marshall at the RA: A Monumental Survey of Black Histories

This autumn, the Royal Academy of Arts presents a landmark retrospective of Kerry James Marshall, marking his 70th birthday with Kerry James Marshall: The Histories — the artist’s largest exhibition ever shown in Europe.

Running from 20 September 2025 to 18 January 2026, the show brings together more than 70 works across painting, drawing, sculpture and print. It’s Marshall’s first UK institutional exhibition since 2006 and includes a powerful new body of work created especially for the RA.

A major figure in contemporary art, Marshall is renowned for placing Black subjects at the centre of Western art traditions, often with epic scale and unapologetic beauty. His works tackle historical erasure while celebrating everyday life — from children playing and families picnicking to imagined portraits of Harriet Tubman and Scipio Moorhead. The exhibition opens with The Academy (2012), where a model in a life-drawing studio raises a Black Power salute, setting the tone for a show that questions, reframes, and reclaims visual history.

Highlights include Knowledge and Wonder (1995), his largest canvas to date, shown outside Chicago for the first time, and School of Beauty, School of Culture (2012), a vibrant hair salon scene layered with symbolism and joy.

The exhibition doesn’t shy away from painful chapters — such as the Middle Passage and the Civil Rights era — and culminates in eight new paintings exploring the transatlantic slave trade from multiple perspectives, including the role of African traders.

Organised with Kunsthaus Zürich and Musée d’Art Moderne in Paris, and curated in collaboration with the artist, The Histories is an urgent, timely, and deeply considered show. It invites viewers to look closely and think critically about representation, legacy, and the power of art to rewrite what we remember.

Tickets start at £23, with concessions and half-price access for under-25s. Booking is strongly advised via royalacademy.org.uk.