Afro-Atlantic Histories October 24, 2021–January 17, 2022
Aaron Douglas, Into Bondage, 1936, oil on canvas, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, Corcoran Collection (museum purchase and partial gift from Thurlow Evans Tibbs, Jr., the Evans‐Tibbs Collection). © 2021 Heirs of Aaron Douglas / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY
Dalton Paula, Zeferina, 2018, oil on canvas, Museu de Arte de São Paulo, gift of the artist on the occasion of the Afro-Atlantic Histories exhibition, 2018. © Dalton Paula
Hank Willis Thomas, A Place to Call Home (Africa America Reflection), 2020, stainless steel with mirrored finish, edition 1 of 3, with 2 artist proofs, Jack Shainman Gallery, New York. © Hank Willis Thomas, courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York
Kerry James Marshall, Voyager, 1992, acrylic and collage on canvas, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., Corcoran Collection (gift of the Women’s Committee of the Corcoran Gallery of Art). © Kerry James Marshall
Installation view of Afro-Atlantic Histories
Samuel Fosso, Self‐Portrait (as Liberated American Woman of the ’70s), 1997, printed 2003, chromogenic print, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Museum purchase funded by Nina and Michael Zilkha. © Samuel Fosso, courtesy Jean Marc Patras Galerie, Paris
Installation view of Afro-Atlantic Histories
Frank Bowling, Night Journey, 1969–70, acrylic on canvas, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, gift of Maddy and Larry Mohr, 2011. © 2021 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / DACS, London
Installation view of Afro-Atlantic Histories
Elizabeth Catlett, Standing Mother and Child, 1978, bronze with copper alloy on wood base, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Museum purchase funded by the African American Art Advisory Association. © 2021 Catlett Mora Family Trust / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
The MFAH presents the U.S. tour of Afro-Atlantic Histories, an unprecedented exhibition that explores the history and legacy of the transatlantic slave trade. The exhibition comprises more than 130 works of art and documents made in Africa, the Americas, the Caribbean, and Europe across 500 years, from the 17th century to the 21st century.
Afro-Atlantic Histories dynamically juxtaposes works by artists from 24 countries, representing evolving perspectives across time and geography through major paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures, photographs, time-based media art, and ephemera. The range extends from historical paintings by Jean-Baptiste Debret, Frans Post, and Dirk Valkenburg to contemporary art by Melvin Edwards, Ibrahim Mahama, and Kara Walker.
The exhibition premiered at the Museu de Arte de São Paulo (MASP) in Brazil, and the U.S. tour builds on the presentation through the overarching theme of histórias—a Portuguese term that can encompass both fictional and non-fictional narratives of cultural, economic, personal, or political character. The term is plural, diverse, and inclusive, offering viewpoints that have been marginalized or forgotten. Afro-Atlantic Histories unfolds through six thematic sections that explore the varied histories of the diaspora.
Viewer Discretion Advised This exhibition includes images that some may find disturbing, including depictions of violence and suffering related to the history of slavery forced upon African peoples.
► Audio Guide
The exhibition audio guide delves into selected works of art with commentary from artists including Jamal Cyrus, Nona Faustine, and Kehinde Wiley; poet Joy Priest; and from scholars and museum curators. Disponible en español. Available free of charge, online and in the galleries. To listen in the galleries, please bring your mobile device and headphones.
Best experienced on mobile devices with the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and Safari.
► Shop the Show
Browse exhibition-related items at the MFA Shop online.
► Publication
The illustrated exhibition catalogue is available through the MFA Shop (713.639.7360) and the Museum’s Hirsch Library (713.639.7325).
► A Curatorial Conversation
Learn more about the presentation of Afro-Atlantic Histories in Brazil, Houston, and Washington, D.C.
Afro-Atlantic Histories / October 24, 2021–January 17, 2022
• Included with general admission. Advance timed tickets recommended.
This exhibition is co-organized by the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the Museu de Arte de Sāo Paulo in collaboration with the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC.
At the Museu de Arte de São Paulo, the exhibition was curated by Adriano Pedrosa, Artistic Director; Ayrson Heráclito, Curator; Hélio Menezes, Curator; Lilia Moritz Schwarcz, Adjunct-Curator of Histories; and Tomás Toledo. The North American tour was curated by Kanitra Fletcher, Associate Curator, African American and Afro-Diasporic Art, National Gallery of Art, Washington DC.
Major support provided by:
