Black Representation in the Art World Pt. 1 | I’m just a Blasian what do I know?
There has been an ongoing conversation about white artists depicting Black people and, in turn, profiting from those representations. To be clear, I am not saying that white artists should not paint Black people. Representation itself is not the issue. The deeper question is who gets to tell our stories, who benefits from them, and whose voices are given space in the process. Many times have I seen Artists not from Black communities occupy the space of those who struggle within those communities. I find it rather frustrating and often find my self frustrated with those artists who choose to take up space and not speak out, speak for and stand with the Black and Brown communities. Especially with all the lynchings,murders,abductions and rape going on in the United States.
When our struggles, resilience, joy, and cultural experiences become commodities for someone outside of our community to sell, it can reproduce the very power dynamics that have historically marginalized Black artists and creators. There is a difference between appreciating Black people and culture and turning Black experiences into a source of personal or financial gain.
A white artist can observe, admire, and create art inspired by Black people, but they cannot fully understand the lived experience of being Black—the history, the struggle, the joy, the resilience, or the complexity that comes with it. That distinction matters, especially when the person profiting from those stories may be occupying opportunities and platforms that Black artists have historically been denied. That is privilege to just be able to occupy space and not truly be an ally.
This is not about saying that Black culture is off-limits to everyone else. Black culture has been used and abused and is American culture. We as a people are just not appreciated or uplifted for it. White artist should not want to continue to profit off of Black and Brown culture.
It is about recognizing context, power, ownership, and who gets to benefit from cultural representation.
Our culture is not your costume, and our lived experiences should not become someone else’s commodity. Organizations,businesses need to do better and stop perpetuating the nonsense.
