Lorraine O’Grady was a conceptual artist and cultural critic whose work explored race, identity, and representation through multimedia and performance. Best known for works such as Art Is … and her persona Mlle Bourgeoise Noire, she challenged institutional racism and expanded ideas about who art is for.
In his review of Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power at the Brooklyn Museum, Holland Cotter examines how Black artists responded to racism, civil rights struggles, and questions of identity through politically engaged art. The exhibition highlights more than 60 artists whose work challenged social structures and redefined the role of art in public life.