Jerrell Gibbs exhibits paintings of Black family life in Baltimore

Jerrell Gibbs is showing a series of paintings at the Baltimore Museum of Art that explore his childhood memories and the rituals of Black family life in Baltimore.

The artist uses his own family photographs as a starting point to create works that depict domestic spaces like porches, living rooms, and backyards. These paintings transform private memories into a public history of everyday life. Gibbs uses expressive brushwork and shifting colors to show how memory changes over time.

While the figures in his paintings remain recognizable, their forms sometimes dissolve or blur to suggest that remembering is an emotional process rather than a perfect recording of the past. The exhibition features specific scenes such as children playing with bubbles or relatives gathering for celebrations. The artist connects his work to broader art history by referencing European and American traditions.

He uses these established styles to bring Black domestic experiences into a conversation about who is traditionally represented in art. The exhibition remains on view at the Baltimore Museum of Art through May 2, 2027.