Ekow EshunThe Time is Always Now: Artists Reframe the Black Figure (Hardback)

About

Celebrate the power, beauty and complexity of Black identity through The Time Is Always Now: Artists Reframe the Black Figure — a stunning contemporary art publication exploring Black figuration in modern art. Edited by Ekow Eshun and inspired by the words of James Baldwin, this beautifully curated volume accompanies the landmark exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery.

Bringing together leading contemporary African diasporic artists from the UK and US, the book showcases powerful paintings, drawings and sculptures that foreground the Black figure as a symbol of identity, visibility and cultural expression. Richly illustrated and thoughtfully structured, it features insightful essays from acclaimed writers including Bernardine Evaristo, Esi Edugyan and Dorothy Price.

Through striking visual storytelling and critical commentary, this remarkable publication explores how contemporary Black artists challenge historical absence and reshape representation within Western art history. A compelling addition for art lovers, collectors, students and anyone interested in contemporary culture, identity and portraiture.