15 Young Black Artists Making Waves in the Art World

Keep an eye out for these young black artists on the rise.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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The beauty of art is that it's constantly evolving and being pushed to new heights with each new generation of artists. A crop of young black artists, in particular, deserve to be on your radar, adding immeasurably to the artistic dialog with their unique visions and techniques. We've already covered under-appreciated black actors as well as some of the greatest black fashion designers, but now it's time to show some love for talented young visual artists. 

Hailing from Nigeria to Tennessee, ranging from sculptors to photographers, these 20 to 30-somethings are well on their way to making names for themselves in the ultra-competitive world of visual art. Some have been blowing up for a while now, others have been getting attention at prestigious art fairs, and others are being selected for highly publicized events like an art exhibition curated by Shaq. Read on to see 15 Young Black Creatives Making Waves in the Art World, just in time for Black History Month.

Awol Erizku

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Sadie Barnette

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Maya Freelon Asante

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Kevin Beasley

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Allison Janae Hamilton

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Paul Anthony Smith

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Nina Chanel Abney

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Caitlin Cherry

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Sam Vernon

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Lester Merriweather

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Njideka Akunyili

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Nikita Gale

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Jibade Khalil Huffman

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Eric Mack

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Tavares Strachan

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