SAN FRANCISCO, CA.- The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco announced the appointment of Natasha Becker as the inaugural curator of African art. Reporting to the curator in charge of the Museums’ department of the arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas, Becker now oversees the Museums’ collection of African art, envisioning new and expansive ways to interpret and present artworks in focused exhibitions and in dialogue with other works of art in the Museums’ collection.

Born and raised in South Africa, Becker has focused on presenting the work of African artists, African American artists, and artists of the African diaspora. Working in both Cape Town and New York City over the past decade, she has organized numerous exhibitions and international initiatives as an independent curator. Prior to joining the Museums, she served as curator-in-residence at Faction Art Projects in Harlem. Becker is also cofounder of two collaborative curatorial platforms: Assembly Room in New York City and the Underline Show in Johannesburg.

“The collaborative and innovative underpinnings of Natasha’s curatorial practice, her knowledge and study of art history and African history, and her experience presenting contemporary African art will bring exciting opportunities to the stewardship, interpretation, and development of our collection,” states Christina Hellmich, curator in charge of the arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas. “Spanning multiple disciplines, Natasha’s curatorial expertise expands the possibilities for the presentation of African art at the Museums by bringing contemporary conversations to our historical collection.”

Prior to working at Faction Art Projects, Becker served as curatorial adviser at the Face Foundation and co-curator at the Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice. She has a track record of promoting artists from Africa, the African diaspora, and the global south, as well as women artists, in addition to centering social justice within the contemporary art dialogue. Perilous Bodies and Radical Love, two group shows held at the Ford Foundation’s new gallery, wove together the perspectives of 42 international artists on issues of justice and liberation.

“This is a time for accountability, for asking real questions, and for transformation in US museums. I believe in the contemporary value of historical collections and the important role of today’s artists in connecting people and leading these conversations,” states Natasha Becker. “I am deeply honored to join with African and African diaspora artists and communities in bringing forward our complex experiences and adding our diverse voices to the de Young’s collections, exhibitions, programs, and scholarship.”

Becker holds a master’s degree in African history from the University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa, and completed her PhD coursework in art history at Binghamton University, New York. She began her tenure at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco on December 1, 2020.