Kerry James Marshall, an artist known for merging political themes with visual art, is currently showcasing his work at the Musée d'art moderne in Paris. This exhibition marks his first major retrospective in France, following several high-profile shows in the United States, including one at the Met Breuer in New York in 2016. The exhibition presents around 70 works, many of which are large-scale paintings that challenge traditional art forms by centering Black figures, who have historically been excluded from the forefront of Western art. The exhibition immediately captures attention with the sheer size and scope of Marshall’s figurative works. Some paintings span up to ten square meters, with canvases curved to fit the exhibition space, creating a mural-like effect. The scenes depicted—families, gardens, interiors, and moments of leisure—are familiar and everyday. People are shown reading, dancing, resting, and loving. However, the striking detail is that all the figures in these scenes are Black. This simple observation introduces layers of meaning, prompting questions about representation, visibility, and the power of visual storytelling. Marshall often speaks of his goal to unite politics and aesthetics, arguing that painting is not merely a decorative element in political discourse but a central space for struggle. He challenges the idea of whether painting can still create meaningful images in a world where Black bodies have often been sidelined or erased in Western art history. His work responds to this challenge with a deep sense of virtuosity, using tempera, glitter, glazes, and rich colors to create vivid, complex compositions. While his palette is lush and colorful, the Blackness of his subjects absorbs and defines these colors, turning them into a powerful statement. One of the standout pieces in the exhibition is Invisible Man (1986), a painting where a man appears almost entirely black on a black background, with only his eyes and teeth visible. Marshall reimagines the unsettling grin of the character Mister Sardonicus from a horror film, transforming it into a bold visual statement. Other works feature life-sized male figures emerging from ghostly settings, yet they are not reduced to symbols. Instead, they are shown engaging in everyday activities—gardening, reading, styling their hair, flirting, working, and finding pleasure. These figures occupy spaces like parlors, parks, and studios with a quiet confidence, asserting their rightful place in the narrative of art history. Kerry James Marshall: The Histories is on display at the Musée d'art moderne from September 18, 2026, to January 24, 2027.