Musée Picasso, Paris | January 31 – July 4
Faith Ringgold: “Black is Beautiful” — Exhibition at Musée Picasso Paris
The Musée Picasso in Paris is currently hosting “Faith Ringgold: Black is Beautiful”, a landmark exhibition running from January 31 to July 4. This is the first major retrospective of Faith Ringgold’s work in France, making it a rare and unmissable opportunity for European audiences.
Who Is Faith Ringgold?
Faith Ringgold is a pioneering figure in American feminist and African American art. Born in 1930 in Harlem, New York, she has been artistically and politically active from the Civil Rights Movement through to the Black Lives Matter era. Beyond her visual art, Ringgold is also widely celebrated as the author of beloved works in children’s literature.
What to Expect at the Exhibition
The Faith Ringgold exhibition at Musée Picasso Paris brings together a carefully curated selection of her most important works. It builds on the acclaimed retrospective organized by the New Museum in New York in early 2022, with which this Paris edition was developed in collaboration.
The exhibition explores three interconnected themes:
- The Harlem Renaissance and its legacy — tracing the lineage from early 20th-century Black American culture to today’s young Black artists
- Dialogue with Picasso and modern art history — Ringgold enters into a direct visual and critical conversation with Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, challenging the Western canon from a Black feminist perspective
- Social justice and intersectionality — her work questions the position of Black women in both American society and the art world
Faith Ringgold’s Artistic Practice
Ringgold earned her degree in art education from the City College of New York in 1955, followed by a master’s degree in 1959. In the 1960s, she became a key voice in the Black Arts Movement. It was here that she began experimenting with fabric and textiles — a practice that would define her legacy.
Her most iconic works are her narrative quilts, created from the 1970s onward. These pieces fuse the traditional craft of quilting with figurative painting and storytelling, centering the lives and experiences of African American women. A standout example is Who’s Afraid of Aunt Jemima?, which subverts a racist stereotype to celebrate Black female strength and agency.
Alongside her quilts, Ringgold has produced paintings and sculptures addressing racism, sexism, and political injustice. Her work is consistently characterized by vivid color, bold pattern, and the integration of text — making it as intellectually rigorous as it is visually powerful.
A Legacy Beyond the Canvas
Ringgold has also shaped the field of art education, teaching at universities and institutions throughout her career and advocating tirelessly for access to arts education. In 2020, she received the National Medal of Arts, one of the highest honors in the United States.
Why You Should Visit “Black is Beautiful”
“Faith Ringgold: Black is Beautiful” at Musée Picasso Paris is far more than an art exhibition — it is a cultural and political statement. It celebrates the intersectionality of Ringgold’s practice: her commitment to social justice, her rewriting of modern art history, and her enduring influence on generations of artists and activists.
Whether you’re familiar with her work or discovering it for the first time, this exhibition offers a profound and timely experience.
Musée Picasso Paris | ?? January 31 – July 4
