You don’t have to be an art expert to appreciate a good painting, especially when it comes from Black female painters who are revolutionizing the art world with every brushstroke. From bold portraits to spiritual and storytelling-inspired pieces, these women are creating work that feels personal, powerful, and straight-up stunning.

Whether you’re walking through a museum or scrolling on your phone, these painters are making sure Black stories are seen and felt. Here are 11 Black women artists who are painting their way into history.

11 Black Female Painters

Shanna Nicole

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In a world full of renowned artists, emerging painter Shanna Nicole is foraging a new path for Black female painters. Nicole makes art including original canvas paintings that evoke all of the emotions Black women face, including stress, love, and sadness. Back in February, she earned over 14 million TikTok views on a painting she did modelling herself in hair rollers and a pink face mask. According to her official website, she finds “a sense of control,” through painting and telling stories with her art.

Amy Sherald

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Amy Sherald has been creating art since the 90s, but gained worldwide fame when she painted a portrait of the former First Lady Michelle Obama. That painting forever cemented Sherald in history, as she was the first Black woman artist selected for the National Portrait Gallery’s official portraits of a First Lady. Outside of that work, the painter is known for her simplified realism art, which showcases the appreciation of everyday people and things.

Quinn Cale

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Similar to most artists, painter Quinn Cale has a unique approach to the art form of painting. Her paintings often incorporate vibrant shades and an aspect of augmented reality. The latter combines the physical world with the rising digital advancements in technology. One of her most famous works is titled “Fire Fist Mario 8-bit,” which mirrors a real Mario Brothers game. She showcased the painting on TikTok in 2023, which amazed users with its digitized, video game-like features. To get a closer look at this specific original painting, search it up on the Artivive, an augmented reality app.

Danielle Joy Mckinney

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Danielle Joy Mckinney is a contemporary painter who often paints work capturing the leisure and solitude of black female protagonists. Usually inside a cozy abode, Mckinney’s subjects are usually sitting on a couch, smoking freely, reading and enjoying their own company. The artist’s work is housed in several museum collections across the U.S., including the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington DC, the Dallas Museum of Art in Dallas, and The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York.

Julie Mehretu

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Julie Mehretu is an Ethiopian-American visual artist that often creates paintings, prints involving architecture, landscape, and scale. According to Whitney Medium of American Art, she draws inspiration for her work from historical examples of past civilizations from Babylonian slabs to the sites and symbols of African liberation movements. Although Mehretu’s abstract work is mostly geography, it also makes people think about their emotional reaction to dimensions.

Faith Ringgold

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Faith Ringgold, who passed away in 2024, was a famous Black female painter from Harlem, New York. As an art teacher in New York City public schools from 1955 to 1973, Ringgold created several art pieces that spoke to the Civil Rights Movement from a woman’s perspective titled “American People.” Outside of art, the painter, mixed media sculptor, and author was an activist, co-founding the Women Students and Artists for Black Art Liberation with her daughter, Michele Wallace.

Jordan Casteel

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“Through the act of making these paintings, real relationships are born,” says Jordan Casteel. Casteel painted this portrait after befriending clothing designer, Fallou Wadje, on her daily commute to the Studio Museum in Harlem. Meeting the viewer’s gaze, Wadje exudes a level of familiarity common among Casteel’s paintings, which feature the artist’s evolving relationships with her subjects as a means of celebrating her community. See “Fallou” as part of Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys through July 7. #GiantsBkM #TheDeanCollection #BrooklynMuseum #JordanCasteel
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Jordan Casteel paints intimate portraits that highlight everyday Black and Brown people in vibrant detail. Her work often depicts subjects in familiar settings, like barbershops, stoops, and classrooms, giving them the attention and scale usually reserved for elite figures. Casteel focuses on emotion and nuance, creating deep connections between the viewer and the subject. She has shown work at the New Museum, the Denver Art Museum, and the Brooklyn Museum.

Kara Walker

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You might know Kara Walker for her Black paper silhouettes, but she also makes powerful paintings that tell deep stories about race and history. Her art is emotional in the sense that it looks at America’s past in a way that’s raw and thought-provoking. Walker’s paintings are often black and white, giving them a bold, graphic look. She’s one of the most influential artists working today.

Genesis Tramaine

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Genesis Tramaine is a queer artist who creates abstract portraits rooted in her South Baptist upbringing. Her paintings often involve themes of spirituality and the Black church tradition. Tramaine’s expressive work featuring layered compositions reflect emotion and energy. She often paints in a trance-like state, channeling her faith into each piece. Tramaine’s work was at the Brooklyn Museum and Richard Beavers Gallery.

Delita Martin

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Delita Martin is a multifaceted artist who works across multiple mediums, including painting and printmaking. She often creates powerful portraits of Black women anchored in tradition and personal recollections. Martin’s work often features vibrant hues, symbolic patterns, and layered textures that speak to spiritual identity. She explores themes of community, lineage and power.

Mickalene Thomas

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Mickalene Thomas is known for her glamorous, bedazzled portraits of Black women. Her paintings often mix collages and rhinestones. Thomas’ work is loud, proud and inspired by ’70s Black culture, from fashion to interiors. She reimagines what beauty and power look like, especially for Black women.

Who Was the First Black Female Painter?

There have been several Black female painters in history. Among the first known in the United States is Alma Woodsey Thomas. Thomas was the first African American woman to have a solo exhibition at New York’s Whitney Museum of American Art. The abstract artist often drew inspiration for her paintings from objects in nature and outer space.

What Is the Famous Painting of the Black Woman?

The famous painting of a Black woman is “Portrait of Madeleine.” It previously was known as “Portrait of a Negress.”) Marie-Guillemine Benoist, a white woman in 1800, painted the art. Today, it’s celebrated for its striking portrayal of a Black woman during a time when such subjects were rarely centered in art. The painting has since become an icon of both feminist and racial conversation in art history.

Who Is the Most Famous Woman Painter?

The most famous black female painter is Frida Kahlo, known for her deeply personal and symbolic self-portraits. Her work explores identity, pain, and culture, blending realism with surrealist elements. Kahlo’s legacy transcends art, as she was an enduring feminist and political figure.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who’s the most famous Black female painter? Although the question is subjective, one of the most famous Black female painters is Amy Sherald, best known for her portrait of Michelle Obama.

What’s a famous painting with a Black woman? One of the most famous paintings featuring a Black woman is “Portrait of Michelle Obama” by Amy Sherald, displayed at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery.

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