The most extensive European survey of Marshall’s work debuts next month in celebration of his 70th birthday.
Kerry James Marshall, one of the most influential American artists working today, will be the subject of a major solo exhibition at London’s Royal Academy of Arts this fall. Titled The Histories, the show opens on September 20 and will run through January 18, 2026.
A Career-Spanning Survey
The exhibition brings together over 70 works, including a newly created series, offering an expansive look at Marshall’s evolving practice. Organized into 11 thematic sections, The Histories charts his artistic journey from the 1980s to the present day. Notable pieces include the pivotal early work A Portrait of the Artist as a Shadow of His Former Self (1980), the powerful The Academy (2012), and Knowledge and Wonder (1995), a monumental mural loaned for the first time from the Chicago Public Library.
Rewriting the Canon
Known for his rich, figurative style and historical focus, Marshall’s work interrogates the absence of Black subjects in Western art history. He draws from major historical moments—such as the Middle Passage and the Civil Rights era—while also spotlighting everyday Black life through scenes in barbershops, parks, porches, and studios. His layered storytelling honors both the public and private dimensions of Black cultural experience.
Kerry James Marshall: The Histories marks a milestone moment in the artist’s career and promises to be one of the most important exhibitions in London this season.
