Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys

In Esther Mahlangu’s paintings, the bold green, blue, yellow, pink, and red colors outlined in stark white draw attention to her symmetrical abstract patterns, as seen here. Inspired by the house painting tradition of the Ndebele people in South Africa, Mahlangu taught herself to paint on a range of surfaces—including canvas, pottery, and even airplanes—to bring the distinctive styles of Ndebele homes to a global audience.

Painting of this type is predominantly done by Ndebele women like Mahlangu who study and apprentice with their mothers and grandmothers from a young age. The geometric designs are passed down through generations, evolving as the women artists encounter new sources of inspiration in school and their daily lives.

Esther Mahlangu (South African, born 1935), Ndebele Abstract, 2017, acrylic on canvas, The Dean Collection, courtesy of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys. © Esther Mahlangu. Photo by Glenn Steigelman.

Amy Sherald paints “Black people doing stuff.” Her commitment to uplifting the everyday experiences of Black communities is seen in Deliverance, in which she paints Baltimore-based figures on dirt bikes in the manner of lofty equestrian portraits. The artist appropriates a style of portraiture historically reserved for elite White sitters to glorify the bike culture of her chosen home. Caught in midair, her subjects lean back as if on a rearing horse, defying the laws of physics.

Amy Sherald (American, born 1973), Deliverance, 2022, oil on linen, The Dean Collection, courtesy of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys. © Amy Sherald. Courtesy of the artist and Hauser & Wirth. Photo by Joseph Hyde.

For over forty years, Jamel Shabazz has photographed the shifting cultures, fashions, faces, and streetscapes of New York City, with a particular focus on Brooklyn, where he was born and lives today. The figures in these portraits include young children and adolescents joyfully navigating streets and subway cars, commuters, families, and celebrities. The artist uses photography as a catalyst for change, countering harmful narratives about Black communities by centering moments of joy and connection.

Jamel Shabazz (American, born 1960), Breezy Boy Breakers, Midtown, Manhattan, NYC, 2011, chromogenic print, The Dean Collection, courtesy of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys. © Jamel Shabazz. Photo by Glenn Steigelman.

Toyin Ojih Odutola’s sumptuous artworks propose reinvented narratives around Blackness, colonialism, and queer history. Her draftsmanship is intricately detailed, creating shadows, patterns, and movement through the painterly quality of her drawings. Her subjects are elegant and chic, regal and relaxed—they take up space, which Black people are told not to do. Odutola also honors same-sex relationships as a direct protest against present-day discrimination and bans on such relationships in Nigeria.

Toyin Ojih Odutola (American, born Nigeria, 1985), Paris Apartment, 2016–2017, charcoal, pastel, and pencil on paper, The Dean Collection, courtesy of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys. © Toyin Ojih Odutola. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York. Photo by Joshua White/JWPictures.com.

Nick Cave identifies himself as a “messenger, artist, educator . . . in that order,” descriptors that contextualize the conceptual and emotional weight of his visually playful artworks. He first created his well-known “Soundsuits” in response to the police brutality against Rodney King in 1991. Meanwhile, his Tondo works refer to neuroimaging scans of Black youth living in violent settings. Wrapping injustice in beauty, Cave both invites confrontation of shared trauma and creates space for hope and empowerment.

Nick Cave (American, born 1959), Soundsuit, 2016, mixed media, The Dean Collection, courtesy of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys. © Nick Cave. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York. Photo by Joshua White/JWPictures.com.