3 Black Female Artists You Want to Know

We are celebrating Women's History Month by selecting three black female artists who have broken barriers and changed the art world - that you need to know.

Jordan Casteel (American, b. 1989)

Jordan Casteel

Jordan Casteel is a figurative painter known for her illuminating portraits that capture detailed observations of her subjects. Casteel typically paints Black men, friends, lovers, family members, and neighbors in her community of Harlem, New York. Her approach and use of bold color have been compared to Jacob Lawrence and Henri Matisse.

Born in Denver, Colo., Casteel lives and works in New York City. She earned an MFA from Yale University and was an artist in residence at the Studio Museum in Harlem.

Amy Sherald (American, b. 1973)

Amy Sherald, New York Studio School

Amy Sherald is a portraitist, best know for her painting of First Lady Michelle Obama. Sherald's paintings depict African Americans in everyday settings. Since 2012, her work has used grisaille to portray skin tones to challenge conventions about skin color and race.

She received her MFA in Painting from Maryland Institute College of Art (2004) and BA in Painting from Clark-Atlanta University (1997). Also, she was a Spelman College International Artist-in-Residence in Portobelo, Panama (1997).

Bisa Butler (American, b. 1975)

Bisa Butler, 2020, photo by Nonexitfiction courtesy of Claire Oliver Gallery.

Bisa Butler is an American fiber artist known for her vibrant, quilted portraits of Black life. Her subjects are everyday people to notable historical figures. Her quilts tell stories from the African American side, that have been forgotten over time. She often uses kente cloth and African wax printed fabrics in her quilts to adorn the subjects.

Based in New Jersey, Butler studied painting at Howard University and earned a master’s in art education at Montclair State University, where she took a fiber art class. She has exhibited at the Smithsonian Museum of American History, the Epcot Center, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.