'Kerry James Marshall: The Histories' Royal Academy of Art

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Courtesy Of The Artist And Museum Associates/Lacma

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Courtesy Of The Artist And Jack Shainman Gallery, New York

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Photo: Sean Pathasema. Courtesy Of The Artist And Jack Shainman Gallery, New York

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Courtesy Of The Artist And David Zwirner, London

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Courtesy Of The Artist And The Museum Of Modern Art

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Courtesy Of The Artist And David Zwirner, London

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Courtesy Of The Artist And Jack Shainman Gallery, New York

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Photo: Patrick L. Pyszka, City Of Chicago. Courtesy Of The Artist

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Summary

The Royal Academy of Arts in London presents Kerry James Marshall: The Histories
On view from September 20 through January 18, 2026, the expansive survey exhibition brings together over 70 works, including a new painting series

Next month, London’s Royal Academy of Arts will lift the veil on The Histories, the most extensive European survey of celebrated painter Kerry James Marshall. Coinciding with the artist’s 70th birthday, the exhibition presents a stunning display of over 70 works, including a new series of paintings created especially for the show.

Unfolding across 11 thematic and stylistic sections, The Histories guides visitors through the formal and conceptual evolution of one of America’s most influential living artists. Highlights include the early and enigmatic “A Portrait of the Artist as a Shadow of His Former Self” (1980); the emphatic “The Academy” (2012)which figures life drawing model holding a Black Power first high; and “Knowledge and Wonder” (1995) a monumental commission for the Chicago Public Library that is being loaned for the first time.

Marshall’s practice interrogates the canon itself, confronting the historical erasure of Black subjects in Western art and political history. Working primarily in series, the artist examines pivotal eras such as the Middle Passage, Civil Rights and Black Power movements, while honoring everyday scenes of Black life, looking to barbershops, parks, porches and studio spaces as sites of visibility and resilience.

Kerry James Marshall: The Histories will open on September 20 and will remain open through January 18, 2026. To purchase tickets or lean more, head to the Academy’s website.

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