Part of Handwork 2026

Curated by Colette Gaiter

This exhibition presents an expansive view of artists’ books created by Black artists. Some artists specialize in making books, and others work in additional forms. These artists combined words, images, materials, and techniques in traditional and innovative ways. Books that paved the way for current Black book and zine-making show the evolution and pay homage.

Many of the books are specifically about experiencing Blackness. They range from personal stories to historical information illuminated through creative interpretations. Insights within the books’ pages encourage viewers to ponder unfamiliar points of view. “Universality” is a quality seldom applied to Black stories in mainstream Western spaces. Fear of discomfort or unconscious dismissal of alternative points of view can limit engagement. These books invite close looking and reading. Revealing a wide range of creative expression about a range of topics through words and images, the works in this exhibition inform and captivate viewers, extending imagined boundaries for contemporary book art.