Bringing the Black visual vernacular to life

On February 10, 2024, the Brooklyn Museum unveiled “Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys,” marking the first exhibition to showcase works from the celebrity couple’s collection. The exhibition features works by Black diasporic artists as part of the museum’s ongoing efforts to expand the art-historical narrative by creating a platform for African artists. 

This collection not only highlights the diversity and richness of Black artistic expression but also focuses on the significance of representation and inclusivity in the art world, especially within an institution that has historically prioritised Western art. The immense collection of the musical superstars, importantly, takes up space, institutional space, that’s historically been reserved for white representation. The Deans’ raison d’être for this exhibition is to combine the works of renowned African artists and artists from the diaspora with upcoming Black artists to create a story that has historical value, while also looking towards the future of African art. There are around 100 artworks by 37 artists in the large exhibition space, which took over 2 years to bring to life, under the expert curation of Kimberli Gant. Giants brings artists whose legacies paved the way for today to the forefront: Jean-Michel Basquiat, Ernie Barnes, and Jamel Shabazz amongst others. Upon arrival, there is also a trio of canvases by Esther Mahlangu with her signature geometric works of her Ndebele heritage.