“Amy Sherald American Sublime” is a startling new exhibition that will premiere at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York on April 9, 2025. With more than 40 powerful portraits in this important exhibition, Amy Sherald is firmly established as one of the most important realist painters of our day.
Famous for her striking images of Michelle Obama and Breonna Taylor, Sherald continues to elevate regular Black Americans to the status of high art with a kind of joy, dignity, and passion.
In her book Capturing the Spirit of the Everyday, Sherald often finds her subjects through chance encounters. One painting in the new show, titled “As American as apple pie,” features a stylish Brooklyn couple who collect vintage cars. Their warmth and aura immediately struck her.
“I’m looking for soulmates,” Sherald shared. “They have kind of a weight to their soul, like they’ve been here before.”
Gray Skin, Vibrant Identity
One of Sherald’s trademarks is painting her subjects’ skin in shades of gray, a choice meant to emphasize universality, de-emphasizing skin tone while still centering Black identity. Her approach both resists historical exclusion from portraiture and celebrates modern Black life with elegance and depth.
“Ecclesia”: A Centerpiece of Imagination
A centerpiece of the exhibit is a large triptych titled “Ecclesia (The Meeting of Inheritance and Horizons).” Inspired by stained-glass church windows and Wes Anderson’s visual style, it invites open interpretation.
Do they float above the water? Are they in the air? She speculates that these might be guides who are just waiting to summon the ancestors back.
An Intentional Experience with Viewing
Sherald positions her works at eye level to further engage spectators and foster a closer, more personal connection. As Sherald intended, many visitors report feeling as though they are speaking with the portraits.
Sherald provides a reflection on identity, presence, and legacy in “American Sublime.” She asks us to feel as well as to watch.
Source: NBC News
