Amy Sherald
Painter (1973-)
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"In a sense I try to take care of the viewer, to see a self reflected back. That's a loving self, a gentle presentation of Black identity."
Amy Sherald a Baltimore based painter known for her striking portraits of American American subjects. Sherald's contribution to the genre of American art historical realism has largely been to tell the stories of Black America that have gone untold. Sherald chooses monochrome backdrops to her portraits with their skin tone noticeably gray; this is her way of challenging the associations Americans have between color and race.
"In a sense I try to take care of the viewer, to see a self reflected back. That's a loving self, a gentle presentation of Black identity."
Amy Sherald a Baltimore based painter known for her striking portraits of American American subjects. Sherald's contribution to the genre of American art historical realism has largely been to tell the stories of Black America that have gone untold. Sherald chooses monochrome backdrops to her portraits with their skin tone noticeably gray; this is her way of challenging the associations Americans have between color and race.
Notably, Sherald is the first African American woman to paint an official First Lady portrait for the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C.
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| Official portrait of First Lady Michelle Obama |
Connection to the Classroom
Not only is Sherald's work a modern take on portraits but their commentary on race is relevant to any American classroom. Her work can be used as examples in a unit on portraits as well as spark a conversation on how art can be a political statement.
