In “The Time is Always Now: Artists Reframe the Black Figure,” curator Ekow Eshun assembled a collective of contemporary Black artists whose works assert presence, identity and sovereignty.
Originally exhibited at London, U.K.’s National Portrait Gallery followed by the Philadelphia Museum of Art in Philadelphia, Penn., U.S.A. and the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh, N.C., U.S.A., the show offers more than a visual experience — it’s a bold reclamation of space for the Black figure in Western art history.
IDENTITY IN A GLOBALIZED, CULTURALLY FLUID WORLD
But to truly understand this exhibition is to engage with something deeper: identity in a globalized, culturally fluid world.
Eshun, born in London to Ghanaian immigrants, exemplifies the hidden diversity that Culturs celebrates. As an Adult Third Culture Kid (ATCK), he navigates multiple cultural realities. His curatorial lens is shaped by diasporic roots, British upbringing and a deep connection to African heritage. This multifaceted identity isn’t peripheral — it’s foundational.
So too with artist Thomas J. Price, whose monumental bronze sculpture “As Sounds Turn to Noise” commands attention. Born to a white mother and Jamaican father in London, Price straddles racial and cultural boundaries. His work and identity reflect the experience of many culturally fluid individuals — those whose lives are defined not by a single cultural reference point but by a rich tapestry of influences.
In the 21st century, outward appearance is no longer a reliable marker of identity.
Diversity often resides below the surface — shaped by travel, upbringing, language and cross-cultural exposure. Whether defined as Cross-Cultural Kids (CCKs), multiethnic, Borderlanders or Third Culture Adults (TCAs), people across the globe increasingly inhabit the in-between.
Understanding this vocabulary is critical. As Culturs readers know, language builds bridges — it fosters belonging, creates community and validates lived experience. This exhibition speaks directly to that truth.
The artists featured — Jordan Casteel, Claudette Johnson, Toyin Ojih Odutola, Jennifer Packer and others — create portraits that are as personal as they are political. Their work resists flattening, refusing to let Black identity be reduced to stereotype or spectacle. Instead, each piece offers an intimate, multilayered portrayal of Black life, often shaped by cultural hybridity.
While the exhibition acquired powerful resonance during its time at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, its journey continues. In the painting “Tobi” by Philadelphia, Penn., U.S.A.-based artist Jennifer Packer, we see quiet strength and specificity — embodying both local relevance and global universality. Her brushwork doesn’t just capture a subject — it captures emotion, vulnerability, and a sense of being seen.
Eshun grounds the exhibition in the words of James Baldwin:
The challenge is in the moment, the time is always now.
This quote doesn’t merely lend the show its name — it anchors its urgency. It calls us to confront essential questions: Who is visible? Who controls the narrative? Who holds the brush?
In “The Time is Always Now,” portraiture becomes a tool of agency. The Black figure is no longer objectified — it is empowered, authored and central. This isn’t just about filling a gap in history — it’s about reshaping the future, especially for those who live and thrive in culturally complex spaces.
For the global Culturs community — those who identify as in-between, unseen or misunderstood — this exhibition offers more than artistic validation. It’s an affirmation, a powerful reminder that identity is dynamic, nuanced and expansive.
In a world where cultures blend and boundaries blur, “The Time is Always Now” reminds us that art, like identity, is ever-evolving. And its time, always, is now.
