AMERSFOORT.- Kunsthal KAdE presents the first-ever retrospective in Europe of the work of the African-American artist Jacob Lawrence (1917-2000). Lawrence gained fame in 1941 with his iconic painting series "The Great Migration," a series of 60 panels, half of which can be seen at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the other half at the Phillips Collection in Washington. In this series, Lawrence tells the story of the mass migration of Black people from the southern United States to the north. Throughout his career, Jacob Lawrence focused on African-American history and daily life in Harlem, New York, the neighborhood where he grew up. Through art workshops in Harlem in the 1930s, Lawrence developed his own autonomous painting style in the wake of the Harlem Renaissance and is considered one of the most important African-American painters of the 20th century. His colorful, narrative version of collage cubism has earned him his own specific place in American art history.

The oeuvre of Jacob Lawrence

The survey in Amersfoort includes Lawrence's complete body of work, from his early work in Harlem in the 1930s to his final decades in Seattle. The exhibition includes 70 paintings, 25 drawings and 75 prints, along with photographs and objects from the artist's estate. Among the works on display are several panels from his famous "Migration Series," panels from the "Struggle Series" (a series that was the subject of a traveling exhibition in the United States several years ago), paintings and drawings by Harriet Tubman - the woman who rescued dozens of slaves from the South via the Underground Railroad - and the screenprint series on Haitian freedom fighter Toussaint L'Ouverture and 19th-century abolitionist John Brown.

Major themes in the artist's oeuvre include life in Harlem in the mid-20th century, African-American history, Black people's struggle for civil rights and - toward the end of his life - "builders" to symbolize craftsmen who helped build the nation. During World War II, Jacob Lawrence served as a war artist with the U.S. Coast Guard. In the 1960s, he traveled twice to Africa, where vibrant markets were one of his favorite subjects. With his bold and dynamic compositions, Lawrence is considered a "pictorial griot," following in the footsteps of traditional African storytellers.

An important part of the exhibition is a layer that gives context to the subjects Lawrence painted, which are often unknown to people in Europe. Using material from his personal collection, the presentation provides insight into the artist's personal life and career.

The loans for the exhibition are from private collectors and museums in the United States.

Barbara Earl Thomas and Rashad Doucet

Two projects by contemporary artists are being shown in conjunction with the work of Jacob Lawrence. Barbara Earl Thomas - an early student of Jacob Lawrence when he taught at the University of Washington in Seattle - created four works as a "tribute" to her former teacher. They show Jacob Lawrence as a young and older artist, as a professor in Seattle and with his wife Gwendolyn Knight against the backdrop of Brooklyn, where they lived after the war. Two of the works will be available as art editions in silkscreen versions.

Rashad Doucet is a professor of sequential art at the School of Art and Design in Savannah. He created a graphic novel about the artist's life for the exhibition, which is included in the catalog and will also be available as a separate book (€15) in the KAdEShop. The graphic novel is generously supported by The Jacob and Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence Foundation.

A comprehensive catalog has been published with all the works in the exhibition and the documentary accompanying material. The book - 288 pages in color - is available in the KAdEShop (€30). In addition, especially for the exhibition a website created where more information can be found about the work and life of Jacob Lawrence.

Nina Chanel Abney at the Elbow Church

Starting Sept. 27, works by the American artist Nina Chanel Abney on display in the Elbow Church. A new installation developed specifically for the church's unique space. The work combines existing sculptures and neon work with large, space-filling vinyl canvases, on which Abney displays new compositions in her signature abstract style. Based on her everyday experiences, she creates dynamic and colorful works with a wide range of subjects, from pop and street culture to political statements.

Combining representation and abstraction, Abney's paintings capture the frenetic pace of contemporary culture. Her works address topics as diverse as race, celebrity, religion, politics, sex and art history. They avoid linear narratives and prefer loose narratives. The result is a lush image with a kind of spontaneous order, in which time and space are compressed and identity is interchangeable. A booklet will be produced and available at the Elbow Church (€5).

Nina Chanel Abney can be seen at the Elleboogkerk in Amersfoort from September 27, 2025 through January 4, 2026.