“The collection started not just because we’re art lovers, but also because there’s not enough people of color collecting artists of color.”
Swizz Beatz
As vocal advocates for Black creatives to support Black artists, the Deans – aka Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz – have created an incredible collection of contemporary art featuring Black American, African and African diasporic artists over the last two decades. Now, it’s open to the public for the first time ever through the exhibition “Giants: Art from the Dean Collection”, which exclusively showcases black artists and serves as a powerful celebration of black culture and identity.
On display in The Brooklyn Museum, “Giants” is a reminder of the contributions black artists have made to the cultural landscape while still being historically underrepresented in mainstream galleries. Challenging the status quo, the exhibition highlights the richness and diversity of black artistry through almost 100 artworks spanning various mediums from paintings to textured sculptures.
Starring 37 ‘giants’ of the art world, among them Derrick Adams, Nina Chanel Abney, Jordan Casteel, Amy Sherald and Kehinde Wiley, the eponymous artists aren’t the sole giants: Drawing from Mississippi’s monster truck culture and histories of anti-Black violence, and underscoring the coexistence of Black Americans’ joys and traumas, the “Big Wheel I” sculpture by Arthur Jafa measures almost eight foot, for example, and sits right next to street photography, dyptich and more, making for a multi-faceted array.
The “Giants” exhibition is on display at the Brooklyn Museum, New York, from February 10–July 7, 2024.
