10 Black Artists to watch in 2020
As a curator and art lover, I constantly come across new talent but you know when you've come across someone special and these 10 artists are just that. From painting to sculptor, mixed media and illustration there is something for every collection. So if you're looking for new artists to invest in, here are 10 that are on the rise:
1. Hugo Mendes
1. Hugo MendesHugo Mendes a visual artist from Maputo, Mozambique. Through his artwork Hugo aims to represent aspects of everyday life, referring to the collective history of the Mozambican people and their fantasies whilst seeking more intimate elements of the black experience.
Image 'The Afronaut' © Hugo Mendes
See more of Hugo's work
2. Sungi Mlengeya
2. Sungi MlengeyaSungi (1991) is a Tanzanian born artist and painter, whose minimalist high-contrast portraits celebrate the 'beauty in blackness.' Dark skin tones set against white backgrounds has become synonymous with the painter's style.
Image 'Constant II' © Sungi Mlengeya
Follow Sungi @sungimlengeya
3. Affen Segun
3. Affen SegunOne of our bestselling artists, Nigerian mixed-media artist Affen Segun creates portraits combining Ankara fabric and acrylic paint touching on motherhood, black power and tradition.
Image © Affen Segun
4. Amber Roper
4. Amber RoperAmber; a London based fibre artist, creates bold geometric handmade pieces that will fill any wall with colour, inspired by South African and Mexican textiles. In October we had the pleasure of hosting a weaving workshop with Amber to try our hand at creating our very own piece of fibre art!
Image © Amber Roper
Follow Amber @thebluhenstudio
5. Lee-Roy Zozo
5. Lee-Roy Zozo Lee-Roy is a newcomer who's definitely one to watch, he works with oil on wood and uses the raw element of the wood raw to depict skin tones. One of his largest pieces a 6.5ft figurative painting was on display at our last exhibition and quickly became a favourite among visitors.
Image 'Forces of Nature' © Lee-Roy Zozo
Follow Lee-Roy @leeroy.zozo
6. Larry Amponsah
6. Larry AmponsahLarry is a Ghanaian artist, living and working in London. His work uses archival images and materials to tell fictional stories that deal with issues on a global platform. Larry has been on our radar since 1:54 and his last exhibition 'When a Stone Cracks We Don't Stitch' we look forward to seeing new works from him this year.
Image © Larry Amponsah
Follow Larry @larry.collections
7. Neals Niat
7. Neals NiatNeals was born in Paris from Cameroonian parents and lived between both countries as a child. The two cultures are a huge inspiration for his pieces, which tell stories of migration, which is why the idea of movement is present throughout many of his pieces.
Image 'LE YOR / KIWI' © Neals Niat
Follow Neals @nealsniat
8. Natalie Osbourne
8. Natalie OsbourneNatalie is a Chicago based artist whose bold portraits of her muses have a charming familiarity as a fellow black woman. Already attracting the interest of interior designers in the US we expect to see that interest growing globally.
Image 'Rose Colored Memories' © Natalie Osbourne
Follow Natalie @natalieodecor
9. Tajh Rust
9. Tajh RustTajh Rust is a visual artist based in New York and New Haven. 'His work explores the relationships between black identity and space, taking inspiration from his own travels and imagination, Rust aims to manipulate the boundary between realism and surrealism.' As one of 16 artists selected for Kehinde Wiley's Black Rock residency program, we predict an exciting future for Tajh.
Image 'In The Garden' © Tajh Rust
Follow Tajh @tajhrust
10. Rayvenn D'Clark
10. Rayvenn D'ClarkRayvenn is a Digital Sculptor, Curator and Writer based in London. Rayvenn's work 'chronicles the elevated reframing of black anatomy' exploring materials, scale and digital manipulation. From our first exhibition with Rayvenn to the latest exhibition 'Body and Soul' at One Canada Square we've seen Rayvenn continue to produce pieces that speak volumes.
Image 'I Don't See In Colour' © Rayvenn D'Clark
Follow Rayvenn @rayvenndclark_art
The artists are listed in no particular order – just 10 amazing artists to watch this year!
Curated by Swakara Atwell-Bennett
1 comment
Great article, thanks for sharing. Loving the work of Neals Niat & Natalie Osbourne, both look as if they have extremely promising futures as painters.