Black History Month is marked in many European countries in October (as well as in February in the United States). For this edition of the newsletter, I have selected several paintings which celebrate Black history and artists as seen in museums across Europe.

Norma Alberg was the first person to drive a metro in Amsterdam when it opened in 1977. She was a Surinamese woman - her first passengers were the then Princess Beatrix and Prince Claus. At the time, she was the only Black woman and one of only two women, alongside 250 men, who were trained to become metro drivers.

This painting is by Kenisha Dors, who was commissioned to create it for an exhibition at The Black Archives in Amsterdam.

This quilt - which I saw in an exhibition at the Musée Picasso in Paris - shows a quintessential Parisienne café depicted by American artist Faith Ringgold.

The quilt tells the story of Willia Marie Simone, a young Black American woman who moved to Paris to become an artist. She is standing between two tables with artists seated all around, including Vincent Van Gogh, Paul Gauguin and a variety of Black artists whose names have been forgotten over time (see full list here).

Faith Ringgold included herself in the image. She was born in Harlem and is most known as an activist artist who made murals, quilts and posters. She sadly passed away last year.

This painting depicts Portuguese boxer Kid Oliveira. There is limited information available online about him, but it seems he was a Portuguese boxing champion and was active in other European countries in the late 1930s.

The painting is by Dutch artist Wim van de Plas, who painted it in 1939. He won second prize for this painting in a competition at the Van Abbemuseum in Eindhoven, where the painting is still on display.

Amaoko Boafo, born in 1984, is an artist from Ghana, who studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna. His first European museum exhibition was staged last year at the Belvedere Museum in Vienna.

Boafo portrays well-known people, as well as friends and acquaintances. His bright, bold and colourful artworks are characterised by his signature style, which is achieved by a finger-painting technique. You can see some more paintings here on my Instagram.

Thank you for reading + until next time,