For much of the 20th century, Paris served as a magnet for Black artists seeking freedom, inspiration, and recognition. The exhibition Paris Noir, currently on view at the Centre Pompidou, reflects this deep legacy — gathering over 350 works by 150 artists who made the city a cultural refuge between 1950 and 2000.

The show opens with a striking 1947 self-portrait by Gerard Sekoto, the South African artist whose journey to France marked a new chapter in his life and artistic expression. Nearby, works by Beauford Delaney, Chéri Samba, Sam Middleton, Wifredo Lam, and Everlyn Nicodemus trace the richness of diaspora aesthetics and the interconnectedness of artistic movements across borders.

Curated by Alicia Knock and Éva Barois De Caevel, Paris Noir explores how Black artists contributed not only to Parisian modernism but also to global conversations around identity, anti-colonialism, and freedom of expression. For many of these artists, the French capital represented a sanctuary away from the discrimination they faced elsewhere — a place where art could flourish and voices could rise.

Knock notes that this exhibition also marks a long-overdue corrective: many of the featured artists were historically overlooked by European institutions. Paris Noir is part of a broader effort to diversify the Pompidou’s permanent collection, which is scheduled to reopen in 2030 after renovations.

Running until 30 June 2025, this monumental exhibition invites audiences to witness five decades of brilliance and resistance through the lens of Black creativity — making it a must-see moment in the international art calendar.

Sources:

• The Guardian – 'The colour of my skin didn’t matter': Exhibition shines light on Black artists in postwar Paris

• The Guardian – Basquiat to Delaney: Inside the exhibition honouring 50 years of art in Black Paris