The cover of the book.
Photo: Courtesy of Abrams Books“I didn’t create this book for 2021 consumption; it’s a book I made so we can look back at it in 2040 and 2050,” Jasmin Hernandez says to AD. She’s speaking about her recently released We Are Here: Visionaries of Color Transforming the Art World, which was published by Abrams. The volume, which centers on 50 BIPOC artists (with an emphasis on those who also identify as womxn), zeroes in on individuals who are under 40. It was clearly an important mission for Hernandez, the founder and editor in chief of Gallery Gurls—a website that shares that same focus.
Despite her expertise, narrowing down the list of individuals included in the book was no small task. “The most important factor was to prioritize Black subjects, both artists and art workers,” Hernandez explains of her process. “So as I navigated contacting subjects and getting confirmations, the ratio always had to benefit Black people….As a Black Latinx author that was key.” Readers can expect to find artists such as Toyin Ojih Odutola, Mashonda Tifrere, and Genevieve Gaignard featured in the final text.
Those names aside, another enticing component of the book is undoubtedly a foreword written by Swizz Beatz, who, in addition to being an accomplished musician, is a prominent art collector. Many of the artists included in his holdings, which are known collectively as The Dean Collection, are featured in Hernandez’s book. “It made perfect sense to reach out to him; he is in many ways an ambassador for the culture. Our culture,” Hernandez comments. “I never wanted some big art academic to write the foreword, but rather someone with a powerful yet accessible voice who can talk about art.”
That final sentiment gets to the question of the book’s intended audience—a topic that Hernandez poignantly addresses later on. “This book is for anyone and everyone, but…especially for a BIPOC audience, [and for] young Black and brown creatives, to tell them that there’s space for you—and here are 50 examples you can learn from and reap wisdom from,” she says. “You can find a way, no matter your socioeconomic or racial background.”
