Faith Ringgold Playlist

On the occasion of her 2019 Serpentine exhibition, Faith Ringgold and her daughter Michele Wallace compiled a playlist of tracks which have stayed with the artist throughout her life.

“Music is a life force. I try to interpret the music in my work. You can’t see the music, but you can feel it. I try to make it visible through my work.”

Born in 1930, Ringgold grew up in Harlem during a prolific period of creativity, art and music known as the Harlem Renaissance living in the same neighbourhood as pioneering artists, writers and musicians including Billie Holiday, Langston Hughes, Jacob Lawrence, James Baldwin, Duke Ellington and Aaron Douglas.

Music is present within many of her artworks including the Jazz Stories series which was shown at the Serpentine and Flying Home: Harlem Heroes and Heroines, her mosaic at 125th Street station in New York which honours Harlem notables like Zora Neale Hurston and Malcolm X.

 

Archive

Discover over 50 years of Serpentine

From the architectural Pavilion and digital commissions to the ideas Marathons and research-led initiatives, explore our past projects and exhibitions.

View archive