Noah Davis
Noah Davis's first retrospective in the UK presents visionary paintings and community-driven projects that redefined contemporary art before his untimely passing in 2015. His painterly innovations and dreamlike compositions blended realism and abstraction and captured intimate moments of Black life, infusing nostalgia, mystery, and quiet resistance. Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS. Runs through May 11, 2025.
This exhibition takes place at the Barbican Art Gallery located at Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS. Runs through May 11, 2025.
Exhibition Description
Noah Davis’s deeply atmospheric paintings explore everyday Black experiences through a lens that is both tender and surreal. Influenced by artists like Peter Doig and Francis Bacon, Davis developed a distinctive style where figures dissolve into hazy, fragmented landscapes, evoking memory, spirituality, and the passage of time. His works—often depicting family life, urban interiors, and moments of solitude—carry an emotional weight that lingers beyond the canvas. Alongside his paintings, the exhibition highlights Davis’s groundbreaking role in establishing the Underground Museum a space dedicated to making museum-quality art accessible to underserved communities in Los Angeles. This exhibition not only honors Davis’s artistic genius but also his dedication to cultural accessibility and social change.
Gallery

