Black Art Prints: Black Wall Art Ideas for Every Room

Start with the museums. SAAM's highlights include Edmonia Lewis's marble The Death of Cleopatra, carved in 1876; Henry Ossawa Tanner's Abraham's Oak from 1905; Augusta Savage's sculpture Gamin from about 1929; William H. Johnson's Going to Church from about 1940 to 1941; and Mickalene Thomas's Portrait of Mnonja from 2010, made with rhinestones, acrylic and enamel on wood.

Jacob Lawrence's Migration Series is another landmark: 60 panels about the Great Migration of African Americans within the United States; the Phillips Collection has a site devoted to it. Seeing originals like these is the best way to learn what you like before you choose a print.

Our Black art prints and wall art collection holds more than 150 prints of illustrated portraits and everyday scenes: women and men in profile, hairstyles from cornrows to afro puffs, couples, barbershop moments, faith and affirmation lettering, music, fashion and nail art, plus sets of three. The designs are drawn in flat, layered colour, the look of a vector illustration. These are reproductions of illustrated designs, not of museum works, and every print is giclée printed on 230gsm archival matte paper. Single prints come in ten sizes from 5x7 to 32x40, sets of three come in the same ten sizes, and a few designs are also sold framed.

Ten picks, from single portraits to a set of three. Every unframed single comes in ten sizes, from $34.99 to $129.99 CAD.

1. Black Woman with Tropical Leaves

A young woman looks straight at you, one hand with pale manicured nails holding a broad tropical leaf aside, a gold earring catching the light. Black Woman with Tropical Leaves is all deep green and warm brown, so it suits a room with plants or wood furniture.

2. Black Man with Tropical Leaves

A shirtless man bows his head, one hand resting on his forehead, gold and silver rings on his fingers and a cross pendant on a fine chain, in front of broad green leaves. Black Man with Tropical Leaves pairs with the first pick: the same leaves, two quiet portraits, one pair of identical frames.

3. Black Woman Holding Pink Roses

Seen from behind, a woman in a backless hot-pink dress carries a large round bouquet of pink roses over her shoulder, her long black hair falling down her back, against a blush-pink ground. Black Woman Holding Pink Roses is the brightest print in this list and a strong single piece for a bedroom.

4. Black Man Combing His Beard

A man in profile lifts a metal comb to his full black beard, eyes lowered, a gold stud earring and a thin gold chain against a white T-shirt and a dusty rose background. Black Man Combing His Beard fits a bathroom, a dressing area or a barbershop wall.

5. Black Woman with Cornrow Braids

A woman in close profile, turned away from you, her cornrow braids gathered into a bun at the nape, silver hoop earrings and two thin chains above a white ribbed tank top. The background is dark and muted, so Black Woman with Cornrow Braids works where you want a calm, low-contrast piece.

6. Black Couple at a Gallery Wall

A man and a woman stand close together, seen from behind, looking at a wall of framed pictures. He clasps his hands behind his back; she has a curly afro and a tan backpack over one shoulder. Black Couple at a Gallery Wall is a picture about looking at pictures, which makes it a natural centre for a gallery wall of your own.

7. It's a Beautiful Day to Be Black

A cream hoodie printed with IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY TO BE BLACK hangs over a wooden folding chair against a pale wall. It's a Beautiful Day to Be Black is lettering first, so it reads from across a room; hang it where you see it in the morning.

8. Mental Health Matters Snake Plant

A figure in a navy hoodie lettered MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS cradles a terracotta pot of snake plant. Mental Health Matters Snake Plant suits a home office, a therapy room or anywhere you want the reminder in view.

9. Black Woman Hairstyles Set of 3

Three panels, three hairstyles: twisted buns with hands clasped at the mouth, long box braids seen from behind with hands raised and stacked silver bangles, and an afro puff with a cream headband. Black Woman Hairstyles Set of 3 comes as one set of three prints in ten sizes, from $69.99 CAD.

10. Black Woman with Clasped Hands, Framed

For a gift that goes straight on the wall. A woman bows her head, eyes closed, hands clasped before her mouth, her braids gathered into two knots, gold hoops and chain bracelets catching the light. Black Woman with Clasped Hands is the same design as the first panel of the hairstyles set. This framed edition arrives assembled in a Black Oak or Natural Oak wooden frame with clear acrylic glazing, in five sizes from $84.99 CAD.

Living rooms take bold choices. Hang one large portrait above the sofa, or put the two Tropical Leaves prints side by side in matching frames. A set of three in a row fills a long wall without any planning, and Black Couple at a Gallery Wall makes a good centre for a mixed gallery wall.

Size decides most of the result. Above a sofa or a bed, a single print at 24x36 or 32x40 holds the wall on its own; at 8x10 or 11x14 the same print looks lost there but works well on a shelf, a desk or in a group. If you are unsure, choose one size larger than your first instinct.

Bedrooms suit quieter pieces: Black Woman with Clasped Hands, Black Woman with Cornrow Braids or the roses print above a bed or a dresser. Keep one print per wall so it reads as a choice, not as clutter.

• Keep the gaps equal. The space between frames matters more than its exact size.
• Use identical frames. Three matching frames make the set read as one piece.
• Centre on the furniture. Line the middle print up with the middle of the sofa, bed or console below it.
• Check the size first. The size guide shows each size against a wall, and our guide to framing a poster covers frames and mats.

Framed if you want it on the wall the day it arrives; unframed if you already have frames or want to choose them. Unframed prints start at $34.99 CAD and ship flat in a mailer at 11x14 and smaller, or rolled in a tube for larger sizes. Framed editions start at $84.99 CAD and arrive assembled; browse them all in framed posters.

• See the originals: SAAM's highlights and Jacob Lawrence's Migration Series are some of the best-known works by African American artists.
• Our Black art prints are illustrated portraits and everyday scenes in flat, layered colour.
• Pair the two Tropical Leaves prints, or hang a set of three above a sofa.
• Quiet portraits suit bedrooms; lettering prints belong where you see them every day.

Ready to choose? Browse all Black art prints and pick the two or three that fit your wall.