With the wrap-up of Art Basel Miami 2022 earlier this month, several Black artists saw their pieces command big sales at the international art fair. Some are long-standing names that have been in the art world for decades. Others are relatively new to the mix, establishing their base as the next generation of contemporary artists. They create in various mediums, from canvas and bronze to tapestry and onyx, and their works have been embraced by the world of curators and collectors alike.
It's a refreshing change after Art Basel received criticism in 2020 for its lack of Black artists and galleries. Changes have been made with the inclusion of more people of color on the selection committee as well as tweaking requirements to allow more galleries of color to be a part of the events and opportunities for their creators. According to reports, five galleries from African countries participated in this year's fair.
Here are five whose work made them top-selling Black artists in 2022.
Kerry James Marshall
With a career that spans more than 40 years, Kerry James Marshall's work is always in demand. His 1997 piece, We Mourn our Loss #2, featuring Martin Luther King Jr. and other assassinated political figures, sold for nearly $3 million, making it one of the highest sales at Art Basel Miami, according to Art News. The deal was handled by Jack Shainman Gallery, where the piece was on solo exhibition.
Toyin Ojih Odutola
Known for creating detailed, multimedia drawings on paper with a focus on the topography of skin and immersive visual storytelling, Toyin Oijh Odutola once again made a splash at Art Basel Miami. The Nigerian-born artist, who often presents her work as large-scale series or chapters, reportedly made sales of six digits.
Nick Cave
Nick Cave, recently told EBONY about his explorations in precious metals, had a bronze and floral sculpture that sold at Art Basel Miami for a little under $200,000. The deal was also brokered by the Jack Shainman Gallery, which champions the creative disciplines of some of the compelling and influential contributors to culture today. You can see more of Cave's work spanning his 40-plus-year career, on exhibition at the Guggenheim museum in New York City.
Diedrick Brackens
Diedrick Brackens' handwoven tapestries explore themes of African American, American and queer identity. The woven tapestries explore allegory and narrative through the artist’s autobiography. Brackens employs techniques from West African weaving, quilting from the American South and European tapestry-making. He hand-dyes cotton, a material he uses in acknowledgment of its brutal history. His pieces have sold between $95,000 and $500,000.
Hebru Brantley
Gaia, Hebru Brantley, 2022. Image: Nika Krammer.
Known for his distinctive, narrative-driven work revolving around conceptualized characters, Hebru Brantley is inspired by artist references from Kerry James Marshall, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol. With characters that have a narrative output to address complex ideas around nostalgia, fear, safety, power and hope, Brantley’s oversized sculptures often bring in sales between $4,500 - $56,000.
