An essential resource focused on visual art from a Black perspective, Culture Type explores the intersection of art, history, and culture

CRITICALLY RECOGNIZED African American artists are introducing their work to wider audiences through accessible products and design objects sold at museums, galleries, and other outlets. Major exhibitions of Faith Ringgold, Henry Taylor, and Nick Cave this year have inspired skateboard decks, hoodies, boxed note cards, and fine china plates. Artist Kehinde Wiley’s online shop continues to introduce new products featuring his acclaimed portraits with sales benefiting Black Rock Senegal, the artist residency program Wiley established in Dakar, Senegal, in 2019. The Studio Museum in Harlem recently announced an exclusive collection dedicated to Barkley L. Hendricks, including art prints, a tea towel, silk scarf, and jewelry inspired by the late artist’s powerful portraits.

Welcome to the Culture Type Gift Guide! More than 30 selections by a spectrum of artists are featured in this year’s guide. The offerings are wonderful gift options for art lovers during the holidays or any time of the year:

Scarf inspired by: BARKLEY L. HENDRICKS, “Sweet Thang (Lynn Jenkins),” 1975-76 (oil on canvas, 52 × 52 inches. | © Barkley L. Hendricks. Courtesy Estate of Barkley L. Hendricks and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York

The powerful 1960s and 70s portraits of Barkley L. Hendricks (1945-2017) masterfully capture the individuality, mien, and style of his subjects. This silk scarf features “Sweet Thang (Lynn Jenkins),” which portrays Lynn Jenkins, a student at Connecticut College where the artist taught for nearly 40 years, retiring as a professor emeritus of studio art in 2010. The painting is in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. 43 1/2 × 43 1/2 inches, 100 percent silk

Tea towel inspired by: BARKLEY L. HENDRICKS, “Sir Charles, Alias Willie Harris,” 1972 (oil on canvas, 84 1/2 × 72 inches). | © Barkley L. Hendricks. Courtesy Estate of Barkley L. Hendricks and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York

A striking Barkley L. Hendricks (1945-2017) painting owned by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., appears on this tea towel. The artist’s most distinctive portraits feature a limited color palette or multiple figures. “Sir Charles, Alias Willie Harris” claims both elements. Hendricks’s triple portrait depicts the same subject from three different vantage points, nattily dressed in a dramatic, long red trench coat. 19.68 × 26.4 inches, 100 percent linen

Left: “Dancer” Necklace Set; Right: BARKLEY L. HENDRICKS, “Dancer,” 1977 (oil on canvas, 47 7/8 × 36 inches). | © Barkley L. Hendricks. Courtesy the Estate of Barkley L. Hendricks and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York

Barkley L. Hendricks (1945-2017) chose to paint subjects who expressed their individual style through clothing and accessories, and in the case of his “Dancer” portrait, their jewelry. This layered set of four necklaces (shown, above right) is inspired by the piece worn by his slender, bleach blonde subject, who paired it with a white leotard and tights. The necklace (and earrings) is designed by Melody Ehsani, a Los Angeles-based jewelry designer, who also serves as women’s creative director at Foot Locker. 18k gold plated brass; Measurements 14-16 inches, 15.5-17.5 inches, 17-19 inches, and 18.5-20.5 inches; Each necklace has a lobster clasp closure with 2 inches extension and engraved logo tag

The first cookbook from culinary collective Ghetto Gastro is authored by Jon Gray, Pierre Serrao, and Lester Walker, with Osayi Endolyn

One of this year’s best art books is a “cookbook.” This incredible volume captures the multidisciplinary mission of Ghetto Gastro, the Bronx-based culinary collective of Black men that blends Black food and Black cultural experiences with social justice. Seventy-five “mostly plant-based, layered-with-flavor recipes” are interspersed with striking photography, compelling storytelling, interviews with the likes of Thelma Golden, Emory Douglas, and Theaster Gates, and numerous works of art by a spectrum of artists. Representing the collective well, the book is designed to “inspire larger conversations about race, history, food inequality, and how eating well can be a pathway to personal freedom and self-empowerment.” Published by Artisan, 304 pages, hardcover

Tie inspired by: LOU STOVALL, “Peace,” 1968 (silkscreen print, 5-part protest poster, 35 x 23 inches each). | © Lou Stovall, Courtesy the artist

Over his six-decade career, artist and master printer Lou Stovall has collaborated with dozens of artists, including Jacob Lawrence, Sam Gilliam, Elizabeth Catlett, David Driskell, and Washington Color School figures. When he was a student at Howard University, Stovall made political posters for demonstrations organized by the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. This tie is inspired by “Peace,” a five-part, hand-lettered silk-screen recently on view in the exhibition “Lou Stovall: The Museum Workshop” at the Phillips Collection. Stovall produced the monumental anti-war poster in 1968, the same year he founded his printmaking studio, Workshop Inc. Microfiber, standard length

Hoodie inspired by: OTIS KWAME KYE QUAICOE, “Rainyanni (Cowgirl),” 2021 (oil on canvas, 144 x 108 inches / 365.8 x 274.3 cm), was acquired by the Rubell Museum in 2021. | © Otis Kwame Kye Quaicoe

Portland, Ore.-based, Ghanaian painter Otis Kwame Kye Quaicoe is recognized for his striking portraits of friends and cultural figures he admires. A collection of hoodies and a t-shirt featuring cowboy and cowgirl portraits, including “Rainyanni (Cowgirl),” was produced on the occasion of Quaicoe’s residency at the Rubell Museum in Miami, where they were also exhibited and acquired.

Cover Image: FAITH RINGGOLD, “American People Series #16, Woman Looking in a Mirror,” 1966 (oil on canvas, 36 x 32 inches). | © Faith Ringgold.

Harlem-born, New Jersey-based Faith Ringgold makes insightful works that speak to American race, culture, politics, and the experiences of women. The calendar features paintings, prints, and quilt works dating from 1966 to 2010. The cover features “Woman Looking in a Mirror” (1966), the earliest work from the artist’s American People series, which explores tensions between the races. Dorian Bergen, Ringgold’s dealer at ACA Galleries, has said the painting “explores Black female subjectivity” and that “Ringgold turns the gaze of the Black woman, often objectified in Western art, in on herself.” Sold out nearly everywhere, this calendar is still available from the Chrysler Museum of Art. Published by Pomegranate

These note cards feature four different images, some of Faith Ringgold’s most heralded painted quilts, including “Sunflower Quilting Bee at Arles” (1996), which is featured on the box cover.

Celebrating the recent retrospective, “Faith Ringgold: American People,” this boxed note card set features five each of four painted quilt images by Faith Ringgold: Woman Flying with Bouquet (1988); “Sunflower Quilting Bee at Arles” (1996); “Groovin High” (1986); and “Sonny’s Quilt” (1986), a tribute to jazz musician Sonny Rollins, the first artist Ringgold recalls meeting as a child. 20 blank note cards and envelopes, 7 x 5 inches each

Tea towels inspired by: From left, FAITH RINGGOLD, “Woman Freedom Now,” 1971 (offset lithograph, 30 × 20 inches / 76.2 × 50.8 cm); and “American People Series #13: God Bless America,” 1964 (oil on canvas, 31 × 19 inches / 78.7 × 48.3 cm).

Two striking images by Faith Ringgold focusing on feminism and the experiences of women are reproduced on tea towels. A graphic print designed using red, black, and green, the colors of the Pan-African flag, “Women Freedom Now” (1971) was created to activate Black participation in the fight for women’s rights. “American People Series #13: God Bless America” (1964) is from Ringgold’s series of 20 paintings about 1960s-era race relations in the United States. Digitally printed on 100 percent linen, 46cm x 70cm each

Puzzle inspired by: FAITH RINGGOLD, “Matisse’s Model (The French Collection, Part I: #5,” 1991 (acrylic on canvas).

A painted story quilt from Faith Ringgold‘s The French Collection series inspired this 1,000-piece puzzle. “Matisse’s Model” features Willia Marie Simone fictional character created by Ringgold. A young artist who moved to Paris in the early 20th century, she is shown modeling nude for Henri Matisse. Finished size: 67 x 48 cm

Scarf inspired by: FAITH RINGGOLD, “Dancing at the Louvre,” 1991 (acrylic on canvas, tie-dyed, pieced fabric border, 73.5 x 80 inches). | © Faith Ringgold. Gund Gallery Collection, Kenyon College; Gift of David Horvitz ‘74 and Francie Bishop Good, 2017.5.6.

This silk scarf is inspired by “Dancing at the Louvre,” the first painted quilt in Faith Ringgold‘s The French Collection series (1991-97), which explores the life of Willia Marie Simone, a young Black artist invented by Ringgold. In the early 20th century, Willia moved to Paris where her many adventures included visiting the Louvre with a friend and her three daughters. 38 x 38 inches, 100 percent silk.

“Virgil Abloh: Figures of Speech” exhibition remains on view at the Brooklyn Museum through Jan. 23, 2023. Shown, from left, the front and reverse side of the tote

A spectrum of products, including this canvas tote, were produced on the occasion of Virgil Abloh‘s “Figures of Speech” exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum. The typographic design documents the details of the show. Includes a fluorescent green Abloh tag

Puzzle inspired by: ROMARE BEARDEN, “Jazz II Deluxe,” 1980 (serigraph, 31 × 41 1/2 inches), Limited edition of 200. | © Romare Bearden

Boasting two works of art, this double-sided puzzle features “Jazz II Deluxe” by Romare Bearden on one side and a collage of images by DreamYard middle school students, on the other. In New York, DreamYard In School Programs provide more than 150 residencies and after school programs in more than 45 Bronx public schools. 500 pieces, finished puzzle: 24 x 18 inches

Showcasing Nick Cave’s Soundsuits, the plates are available in six designs: Toys, Crocheted, Wire, Buttons, Hair, and Twig.

The celebrated Soundsuits of Chicago-based Nick Cave span sculpture, costume design, and performance. A special collection of plates produced on the occasion of “Nick Cave: Forothermore” the artist’s traveling retrospective, features images of six different Soundsuits. Each plate is 11-inches in diameter, Fine bone china

Nick Cave’s work is full of symbolism, energy, and movement, all of which is captured in the desgin of this portable, reusable bottle.

Produced on the occasion of “Nick Cave: Forothermore,” the artist’s traveling retrospective, currently on view at the Guggenheim Museum in New York, this insulated water bottle features the work of Chicago artist Nick Cave, emphasizing his use of riotous color and multiple materials and embellishments. Height: 12 inches, Capacity: 25 ounces

Inspiring the interior print of the umbrella, Nick Cave’s “Truth Be Told” was installed on the exterior of Jack Shainman gallery in Kinderhook, N.Y., where the village board objected to it. A revised version later appeared at the Brooklyn Museum

This umbrella unites two visually contrasting works by Chicago artist Nick Cave. The floral and sequin print on the exterior references his many embellished mixed-media works and immersive installations. The interior is inspired by “Truth Be Told” (2021), a public art installation that responded to the police killing of George Floyd and also spoke racial justice, the fleeting nature of truth, and the importance of holding institutions, such as the government and museums, accountable. Auto open, button closure, wooden crook handle, and floral print umbrella sleeve

Harlem-based interior designer Sheila Bridges was inspired to create silk scarves because her mother loved wearing scarves she found in museum shops

Sheila Bridges established her signature Harlem Toile print by re-envisioning a traditional 18th-century French toile. The interior designer traded pastoral imagery for past times both familiar and stereotypical in the African American community, including men and women playing basketball, styling hair, and jumping Double Dutch. For this silk scarf, the motifs are featured on a vintage map of Harlem. 100 percent silk twill, 36 inches square

The objects pictured on the scarf are artifacts from the collections of the NYC Archaeological Repository and The New York Public Library

This silk scarf from Harlem-based interior designer Sheila Bridges was inspired by “Before Yesterday We Could Fly: An Afrofuturist Period Room,” a recent exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. A majority Black settlement, Seneca Village was destroyed in 1857 when it was acquired by New York City through eminent domain to make way for Central Park. 100 percent silk twill, 36 inches square

Cover image: WINFRED REMBERT, “Sugar Cane (Patsy’s Mother),” 2008 (dye on carved and tooled leather, 26 3/4 x 21 1/4).

Working with carved and tooled leather, New Haven, Conn.-based Winfred Rembert (1945-2021) painted vivid scenes of the segregated South—cotton fields, chain gangs, pool halls, and church services. The images reflect his memories of growing up, a hardscrabble existence in rural Cuthbert, Ga. His posthumously published memoir, “Chasing Me to My Grave: An Artist’s Memoir of the Jim Crow South,” won the 2022 Pulitzer Prize in biography. The images included in the calendar are overwhelmingly positive focusing mostly on celebration and community, rather violence and struggle. Published by Pomegranate, 11.97 x 0.28 x 12.99 inches

Mug inspired by: KERRY JAMES MARSHALL, “Untitled (Studio),” 2014 (acrylic on PVC panels, 83 5/16 × 119 1/4 inches / 211.6 × 302.9 cm). | © Kerry James Marshall. Collection of Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Purchase, The Jacques and Natasha Gelman Foundation Gift, Acquisitions Fund and The Metropolitan Museum of Art Multicultural Audience Development Initiative Gift, 2015.366

The image on this mug is a detail from “Untitled (Studio),” a large-scale work painted by Kerry James Marshall in 2014, that was featured in the seminal exhibition “Kerry James Marshall: Mastry.” The painting is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where the retrospective was on view in 2016-17. The painting was inspired by Marshall’s visit to the studio of artist Charles White, his teacher and mentor whom he idolized as a child after learning about him in the book “Great Negroes, Past and Present.” Porcelain, 3 3/4 H x 3 3/8 inches diameter, 12.5 ounces. Dishwasher and microwave safe

Cover image: AMY SHERALD, Detail of “For love, and for country,” 2022 (oil on linen, 312.4 x 236.2 x 6.4 cm / 123 x 93 x 2 1/2 inches). | © Amy Sherald, Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth

Considered the first major monograph of Amy Sherald‘s career, this fully illustrated volume is published on the occasion of “Amy Sherald: The World We Make,” the artist’s first solo show in Europe, currently on view at Hauser & Wirth London. The publication reproduces new paintings from the exhibition, alongside recent and earlier works. Highlights also include commissioned texts by Jenni Sorkin and Kevin Quashie, and a conversation between Sherald and Ta-Nehisi Coates. Available now through Hauser & Wirth, Sherald’s gallery, the book will be released widely in January. Hauser & Wirth Publishers, 196 pages, hardcover

Playing cards inspired by KEHINDE WILEY, Detail of KEHINDE WILEY “Morpheus,” 2008 (oil and enamel on canvas, 108 × 180 inches). | 274.3 × 457.2 cm). © Kehinde Wiley, Collection of Laura Lee Brown and Steve Wilson, Founders of 21c Museum Hotels

“Morpheus,” a 2008 painting by Kehinde Wiley inspired this limited edition deck of playing cards. The image reinvents “Morpheus” (1777), an 18th century marble sculpture by Jean-Antoine Houdon. Net proceeds from purchase support Black Rock Senegal, Wiley’s artist in residence program. 52 playing cards

The patches are available as a set and are also sold separately, for $12 each

This collection of 13 patches includes images based on a variety of portraits by Kehinde Wiley from his World Stage Africa, Brazil, and China Series, Yellow Wallpaper Series, and individual paintings such as “Saint John the Baptist in the Wilderness” and “Napoleon Leading the Army Over the Alps.” Net proceeds from purchase support Black Rock Senegal, Wiley’s artist in residence program. Four shapes, dimensions variable, approximately 3 x 3 to 3 x 4 inches each. Dye-sublimation with merrowed borders and iron-on backing

In the portrait, Kehinde Wiley depicts his subject, Mame Kéwé Aminata Lô, against a backdrop of chrysanthemums in a manner informed by modern British wallpaper designs from the late 19th century. The dress she is wearing is by Senegalese fashion designer Sarah Diouf

This limited edition silk scarf depicts a portrait of Mame Kéwé Aminata Lô who works at Black Rock Senegal, the artist compound and residency program established by Kehinde Wiley. He made the painting in 2021, during the COVID-19 quarantine, which he spent at Black Rock. Ordinarily, the artist travels the world using a street casting method to find models for his paintings. During the pandemic, Wiley made a body of work based on the people surrounding him in Dakar. Net proceeds from purchase support Black Rock Senegal. 36 x 36 inches / 91 x 91 cm), Double sided printing, Made in Italy. More KW scarfs

Basketball inspired by: KEHINDE WILEY, “Morpheus,” 2008 (oil and enamel on canvas, 108 × 180 inches). | 274.3 × 457.2 cm). | © Kehinde Wiley, Collection of Laura Lee Brown and Steve Wilson, Founders of 21c Museum Hotels

The image emblazoned on this limited edition 2023 leather basketball is based on “Morpheus” by Kehinde Wiley. The 2008 painting reinvents “Morpheus” (1777), an 18th century marble sculpture by Jean-Antoine Houdon. Net proceeds from purchase support Black Rock Senegal, Wiley’s artist in residence program. Regulation size, premium leather basketball, monogrammed cotton dust bag. Heavy lucite basketball stand with beveled edges, engraved Kehinde Wiley signature 

The t-shirt image is based on the sculptural façade of the Mbari Mbayo space in Òṣogbo, Nigeria, which was designed by Susanne Wenger, circa 1966.

This t-shirt is produced on the occasion of the exhibition “Black Orpheus: Jacob Lawrence and the Mbari Club,” which features Jacob Lawrence‘s little-known Nigeria series (1964-65) and explores the connections between the artist and his contemporaries from the Global South, with a focus on the Mbari Artists & Writers Club in Nigeria and its publication, Black Orpheus (1957–67). 5-color screen-printed design, Chrysler Museum logo on sleeve, Produced locally in Hampton Roads, Va.

Cover image: ALMA THOMAS, “The Eagle Has Landed,” 1970-71 (acrylic on canvas, 50 1/4 × 50 1/8 inches), Private Collection. | Alma Thomas 2023 Wall Calendar, Published by Pomegranate

Alma Thomas spent nearly her entire adult life and career in Washington, D.C., where space, nature, and floral gardens inspired her abstract works. Selections included in the calendar were featured in “Alma Thomas: Everything is Beautiful,” the artist’s recent traveling exhibition and accompanying catalog. The works were drawn from Fisk University and Tougaloo College, both HBCUs, and the Columbus Museum in Columbus, Ga., Thomas’s hometown museum and co-organizer of the exhibition, among other public and private collections. Published by Pomegranate

Skateboard decks inspired by: HENRY TAYLOR, “See Alice Jump,” 2011 (acrylic on canvas, 194.3 x 287 cm / 76½ x 113 inches). | © Henry Taylor, Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth

Produced on the occasion of “Henry Taylor: B Side,” the artist’s survey exhibition at MOCA Los Angeles, this five-part (pentaptych) skateboard deck is based on Henry Taylor‘s 2011 painting, “See Alice Jump,” depicting Alice Coachman. In 1948, Coachman won the high jump at the London Games, making history as the first Black woman to win an Olympic gold medal. Limited edition, 7 ply Grade A Canadian maple wood, 1 Easyfix wall mount included per deck, 31 x 8 inches each. Additional Henry Taylor skateboard works available

Tote bag inspired by: HENRY TAYLOR, “Cicely and Miles Visit the Obamas,” 2017 (acrylic on canvas, 213.4 x 182.9 cm / 84.0 x 72.0 inches). | © Henry Taylor, Courtesy the artist, Hauser & Wirth, and Kravis Collection

Commemorating the exhibition, “Henry Taylor: B Side,” this canvas tote features an image of “Cicely and Miles Visit the Obamas,” an iconic double portrait by Henry Taylor. The painting collapses time, imagining Cicely Tyson and Miles Davis visiting President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House. Heavy weight, 100 percent cotton canvas, 16 1/2 x 16 1/2 inches, Reinforced shoulder straps, one large main compartment; Printed in Los Angeles

Sweatshirt hoodie inspired by: HENRY TAYLOR, Untitled, 2021. | © Henry Taylor, Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth

This unisex sweatshirt hoodie features a recent untitled portrait by Henry Taylor that serves as the promotional image for “Henry Taylor: B Side” at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. The 30-year retrospective is the artist’s largest exhibition to date and the first career survey presented in his hometown of Los Angeles. 70/30 cotton/polyester, MOCA logo on sleeve, double ribbing side panels for stretch; Printed in Los Angeles

These blank note cards feature images of six Gee’s Bend quilts acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art from the Souls Grown Deep Foundation in 2014.

For generations, women from the rural community of Gee’s Bend, Ala., have been making quilts for practical purposes with complex designs and color palettes that distinguish them as works of art. The boxed set features quilt patterns by Lucy T. Pettway, Willie “Ma Willie” Abrams, Nettie Jane Kennedy, Annie Bendolph, and Linda Diane Bennett. Each card is 4 inches x 5 1/4 inches; Box includes 18 cards (3 each of 6 images) and 19 envelopes.

Hauser & Wirth produced sweatshirts, t-shirts, and a cap featuring Rashid Johnson’s Anxious Man drawing

Embroidered with an Anxious Man drawing by Rashid Johnson, this sweatshirt was produced on the occasion of the artist’s “Sodade” exhibition at Hauser & Wirth gallery earlier this year in Monorca, his first solo show in Spain. Johnson’s Anxious Man motif has become an iconic symbol that he has returned to repeatedly in a variety of series. The image references the anxiety, unease, and melancholy experienced by Black men. Unisex; Embroidered in the UK; 85 percent organic cotton, 15 percent recycled polyester CT

Editor’s Note: The featured items are subject to availability and described based on each vendor’s summary. Stated prices reflect pricing at time of publication. Products sold by museum shops may be available at discounted prices for members

FIND MORE For additional ideas, see Previous Gift Guides (some items may no longer be available)

SUPPORT CULTURE TYPE Do you enjoy and value Culture Type? Please consider supporting its ongoing production by making a donation. Culture Type is an independent editorial project that requires countless hours and expense to research, report, write, and produce. To help sustain it, make a one-time donation or sign up for a recurring monthly contribution. It only takes a minute. Happy Holidays and Many Thanks for Your Support.

Click here to cancel reply.

Sign up to receive new posts via email

Do you enjoy and value Culture Type? Please consider supporting its ongoing production by making a donation. Culture Type is an independent editorial project that requires countless hours and expense to research, report, write, and produce. To help sustain it, make a one-time donation or sign up for a recurring monthly contribution. It only takes a minute. Happy Holidays and Many Thanks for Your Support.

Culture Type® participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to help sites earn modest commissions by linking to amazon.com. When you make any purchase from Amazon, and the many independent vendors, small businesses, and booksellers that partner with Amazon, via a link from this site, Culture Type receives a minute percentage of its price. The program helps offset a small portion of the countless hours and expense required to research, report, write and produce Culture Type's content.

Culture Type® is also an affiliate of Bookshop.org, whose mission is to financially support local, independent bookstores. Culture Type earns a nominal commission when you access Bookshop via a link on this website and/or make a purchase from one of Culture Type's book lists on Bookshop.

© 2013-2022 Culture Type, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Culture Type® is a registered trademark of Culture Type, LLC., and is registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office