Introduction
Award-winning performer and producer Pharrell Williams campaigns for Black Womanhood.. And Pharrell Williams is also the creative director for Louis Vuitton (LV) Men: this month, he became the curator of Perrotin Paris’ “FEMMES” show.
The FEMMES exhibition, which will honor Black femininity and highlight Black women’s magnificence, tenacity, and inventiveness, will open in early 2025. Around 40 artists are going to show their works in this joyful event.
From artists such as Carrie Mae Weems, Betye Saar, Zanele Muholi, Esther Mahlangu, and Nina Chanel Abney, it explores issues of identity, motherhood, history and empowerment.
Pharrell Williams’ musical & fashion background drives new ideas/discussions in art. He opens up opportunities for voices that are so often ignored.
Emmanuel Perrotin, Louise Thurin, and Pharrell Williams. Photo: Tanguy Beurdeley, courtesy Artnet.
The Vision Behind “FEMMES Black Womanhood”
In an interview with Euronews, Pharrell Williams is said to always pay tribute to the women in his life — his grandmothers, mother, wife, daughter, and work colleagues.
“Women have been such a blessing in my life… Women are a tremendous force for good in the world. “
This is precisely what “FEMMES” is all about. The FEMMES exhibition is not only an art show, it’s a love letter to Black women. The FEMMES exhibition recognizes their legacy and contributions to society, history, and modern art.
A Collaborative Effort with Perrotin
Williams was also working with Galerie Perrotin (gallery founder) Emmanuel Perrotin. He and Williams have a relationship rich in spirit since the very beginning. They first partnered for an exhibition titled ‘GI R L’ (after their musical album), which was inspired by GIRL, inspired by Marina Abramovi, Tracey Emin, and Ryan McGinley. This time, Williams wanted to focus a bit more.
Perrotin speaking to Wallpaper:
We set up this show with great freedom. The list Pharrell came up with shocked me because there are many artists I had no idea existed. That’s the point at which we go to the curatorial discovery. To widen the prism.
Highlighting the Artists and Themes
The exhibition focuses on art from different generations and features renowned artists and new talents. Here are some of the impressive contributors and works:
1. Carrie Mae Weems: Power of Photography
In Nina (2009–25), Weems uses a soft focus black-and-white portrait – part of Weems’s practice of exploring beauty and identity – as a motif. Much of her work has made Weems one of the most important contemporary artists for her critical interest in race and gender.
2. Betye Saar-Symbolism and Narrative
Saar’s Illusion of Freedom (2009) is a sculpture of an unnatural bird in a vintage cage. The work addresses issues of freedom and captivity. Many of her assemblages have considerable cultural context within the underlying design elements.
3. Nina Chanel Abney: Loud and Graphic Stories
Abney’s large canvas painting, Marabou (2024), uses pop art as an object of commentary about race, politics, and consumer culture.
4. Esther Mahlangu-African Abstraction
Since South Africa Mahlangu brings these geometric paintings with an African background to life, as Ndebele Art Trails, she has that bridge between traditional African art & the modern day style.
5. Zanele Muholi – Black Queer Portraiture
Muholi ‘s dazzling series of photographs documents the lives of black LGBTQ+ people… They are in contrast to conventional notions of gender and identity.
6. Textile Art and Fabric Narratives
As Louis Vuitton’s Men’s creative director, Williams created works based on textiles, such as:
- Georgina Maxim’s fabric sculptures and repurposed materials tell new stories.
- Tandiwe Muriu’s colourful, pattern-rich photography celebrates African textiles.
- Kathia St. Hilaire’s tapestries project Haitian history into colorful, textural works.
Expanding the Legacy of “FEMMES”
It’s about celebrating women and black celebrity women. They’ve greatly influenced art and society today because Pharrell Williams envisioned the exhibition. He pulled influence from his personal life, like Pharrell Williams’ wife Helen Lasichanh.
The show is divided into intimate stories mixed with significant actions (World of Illusion (Los Angeles) and assemblage work are ideas of personal and collective freedom).
In places like the Williams Gallery and Scarab Creative Arts, we see what representation can be. In the meantime, the commotion of ideas (such as in Paris hairstyles and tributes to a woman in Paris) makes its presence felt through the energetic exchange of ideas.
Kathia St. Hilaire, Mami ta yunai (2023). Photo: Guillaume Ziccarelli. Courtesy of the artist, Perrotin, and Artnet.
A Global Movement Rooted in Paris
A Show at Beyond (black Paris) reflects discussions about identity and creativity that can be seen at Todd Alan Gallery and Maxim’s Paris. Artists like Lauren Taylor and others are breaking the convention of what art can be.
Parisian hairstyles in their works also reflect cultural values. “FEMMES” is touring from Black Paris to places like World of Illusion in Los Angeles.
It celebrates women, dismantles obstacles, and finds motivation in Pharrell Williams’ idea of liberation. The exhibition is certainly not just a way forward for contemporary art; it is a manifesto for the entire future of inclusive art.
Why This Exhibition Matters
1. Elevating Overlooked Voices
For a long time, the cultural influence of Black women artists has been tremendous and widespread, but unfortunately, they have had a very low profile in mainstream art circles. In the name “FEMMES,” we want to change this and encourage the acceptance of these visionaries who must be recognized for what they are.
2. Cultural Crossroads
Pharrell’s mix of music and fashion makes its way into art, with some hefty screenprints by Tschabalala Self and several layers of photomontages from Todd Gra, with a vibrant modernity that lends itself to an erudition so good as to make art part of pop culture.
3. A Love Letter to Black Women
Since this is more than an exhibition, it’s a tribute to Williams—“I wouldn’t be here if I weren’t for a Black woman. ” Every work on display reflects the strength, creativity and resilience that shaped Williams’ life and impact on global culture. “FEMMES” is both a mirror & a monument, by taking on the major Black womanhood perspective.
The Impact and Future of “FEMMES”
Pharrell Williams is starting a significant discussion about ‘representation of art ‘. The same is happening with several institutions, saying ‘ reimagine how you think about what they’re doing’ by thinking in the long term. Pharrell Williams sparks a conversation about ‘representation of art ‘.
He says that cultural heritage can be hidden and seen simultaneously. And in the old stereotype of Western culture before America, Pharrell explains how the right celebrity weight can pull up artists we might otherwise miss.
The real issue is whether it will come to a permanent, ever-present extension of this exhibition after its short relocation to Perrotin Paris. In the eyes of the art industry, New York, London, or Lagos may well stake their claim on the future map of the event.
These cities are full of African diaspora cities’ rich & multilateral connections. This international show can use its vast media base to expand its reach to audiences everywhere.
“FEMMES” is a better word for an exhibition. They are most likely to be sparking long-term change. It will set a new standard for inclusive curation.
New collectors are going to get captivated by the idea. The exhibition will inspire other Black women artists. They will learn more about their place in history.
Conclusion
It’s so much more than an exhibition – ‘FEMMES’ is a radical repressive celebration of Black womanhood. PHArrell Williams and Pierre Perrotin’s exhibition is powerful, exposing depraved injustices and calling for institutional change. Art, music and fashion intersect here – this is where cultural power can be found.
FEMMES – Reflecting the transnational scope of Black women, “FEMMES” is not only an exhibition of art but also a story of transformation.
It will be up to the next generation to see it as the time to take it up and build its legacy as an art institution. In this instance, curating is activism, and art is baked into history.
