Kerry James Marshall. The Histories

From 18 September 2026 to 24 January 2027, the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris is dedicating its first exhibition in France to the American artist Kerry James Marshall, a leading figure on the contemporary art scene. Entitled The Histories, this exceptional retrospective brings together nearly 70 works, including eight previously unseen paintings created especially for the occasion. Conceived in collaboration with the artist and organised with the Royal Academy of Arts in London and the Kunsthaus Zürich, the exhibition traces more than forty years of creative output through a chronological and thematic journey.

Powerful narratives at the heart of contemporary painting

Instantly recognisable, Kerry James Marshall’s work places Black figures at the centre of the Western artistic narrative. His vast compositions lend a monumental dimension to scenes of everyday life, which have long been absent from representations in art history. Without depicting violence directly, the artist evokes the legacy of slavery, the struggles for civil rights and the Black Power movement, whilst celebrating the richness of African-American cultures. His painting engages in dialogue with the great European masters, popular culture, comic books, Afrofuturism and science fiction, creating a world that is both erudite and deeply accessible.

A must-see exhibition

Paintings, drawings, prints and sculptures from public and private collections in Europe and North America make up this unique collection. The exhibition, organised into several sections spanning the period from the 1980s to the present day, allows visitors to trace the evolution of an artist who has continually questioned representation, memory and the place of Black people in the history of images. With this exceptional exhibition, the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris invites you to discover a spectacular, committed and essential body of work by one of the most influential painters of our time.

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