Amy Sherald showcases resilience and identity in major exhibitions

In recent months, Amy Sherald, an acclaimed portraitist known for her significant work with Black subjects, is bringing her first major museum survey to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) and the Whitney Museum in New York City. This exhibition, titled American Sublime, aims to celebrate and reflect the essence of Black life and the stories of everyday Black Americans. Sherald has gained prominence for her unique style of rendering the skin tones of her subjects in shades of gray, known as grisaille, and her work often seeks to insert Black narratives into the overarching stories of American art. The connection between Sherald's personal aspirations and her upcoming exhibitions is profound. In a video interview, she expressed a decade-long desire to have her first major show at either SFMOMA or the Whitney, having documented her ambitions in journals. Her creativity reflects a longstanding commitment to empowering narratives surrounding Black individuals, focusing on their resilience in the face of systemic oppression. Exhibition curator Sarah Roberts highlighted this theme, emphasizing Sherald's central premise to include Black stories in American art discussions. As she prepared for the American Sublime exhibition, Sherald faced challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly as an immunocompromised person having undergone a heart transplant. Unable to conduct traditional outreach for subjects, she turned to social media as a valuable tool for connecting with individuals and understanding their stories deeply. This innovative approach has enabled her to spread a richer narrative around Black identity and experience. Additional notable pieces in the exhibition include portraits inspired by significant figures such as Michelle Obama and Breonna Taylor, demonstrating Sherald's commitment to capturing the stories of influential Black individuals. The title American Sublime also nods to a poetry book by Elizabeth Alexander, highlighting not only the beauty of resilience but also addressing broader social issues, including the struggles of the LGBTQ+ community during turbulent times marked by violence and discrimination. In this context, Sherald aims to depict an inclusive vision of America, wherein various identities are interwoven into the nation's artistic landscape. In the closing of the exhibition, a significant painting titled Trans Forming Liberty serves as a testament to the lived experiences of transgender individuals, representing Sherald's desire to amplify voices often omitted from historical narratives. Through her work, Sherald aims to create a discourse around the representation and celebration of Black lives in the American art scene, ultimately transforming the narrative into one of hope and unity.