“FEMMES” CURATED BY PHARREL WILLIAMS
Grammy-winning music visionary and Louis Vuitton Men’s Creative Director Pharrell Williams has returned to the contemporary art world in a powerful way—this time as curator. Opening at Perrotin Paris from March 20 to April 19, 2025, FEMMES is a landmark group exhibition spotlighting nearly 40 artists whose works celebrate, interrogate, and expand the layered dimensions of Black womanhood and creativity.
Moving beyond his 2014 curation of G I R L, this new exhibition transforms the singular into the plural—evolving from muse to movement. FEMMES brings together an intergenerational constellation of creatives whose practices span the tactile, the political, and the profoundly personal. The show also reflects Pharrell’s genre-defying aesthetic sensibility and deep-rooted admiration for women’s influence in his life—his mother, wife, sisters, and muses.
A Tapestry of Influence and Intention
From titans of contemporary art like Carrie Mae Weems and Betye Saar to rising stars like Thandiwe Muriu and Eden Tinto Collins, the show is a kaleidoscopic vision of Black excellence, global perspectives, and creative courage. The exhibition gives center stage to textile and sculptural works that have long been marginalized in the art canon, weaving together history, lineage, and radical reimaginings of femininity.
Artists such as Georgina Maxim, Mequitta Ahuja, and Joana Choumali explore intergenerational narratives through fabric and embroidery, while sculptors like Kennedy Yanko and Chiffon Thomas reimagine materiality itself—twisting metal, paint, and found objects into visceral declarations of power and transformation.
Portraiture also pulses through the exhibition with work by Zanele Muholi, Otis Kwame Kye Quaicoe, and Prince Gyasi. Their images transcend tradition, celebrating the richness of individual identities through bold visual storytelling. Notably, Gyasi’s hyper-saturated photography—shaped by his experience with synesthesia—invites viewers into a vibrant reimagining of diasporic life.
More Than a Show—A Cultural Anthem
Pharrell and gallerist Emmanuel Perrotin’s creative partnership traces back to 2007 and continues to evolve with FEMMES. Their shared admiration for Japanese art and mutual respect has grown into a powerful platform that honors underrepresented voices. For Pharrell, this project is deeply personal—a reflection of love and reverence for the women who’ve shaped his worldview.
“FEMMES is not just an exhibition,” Pharrell shares. “It’s a love letter. It’s an anthem. It’s about creating space for joy, for complexity, for evolution.”
Perrotin adds, “This exhibition continues our shared mission of redefining what is seen, what is celebrated, and who gets to be remembered.”
Visual Culture Meets Pop Culture
Naturally, the exhibition leans into pop culture and conceptual innovation—a signature of both Pharrell and Perrotin. From the dynamic, cubist-inspired paintings of Nina Chanel Abney to the spiritual, symbol-laden works of Theresa Chromati, the show is charged with contemporary urgency and timeless resonance.
The diversity of mediums—ranging from sculpture and photography to video installations and embroidered panels—speaks to the breadth of the artists’ practices, as well as the complexity of Black female identity as muse, maker, and subject.
FEMMES: A Celebration of Now and What’s Next
Taking place at Perrotin’s Paris gallery, located at 76 rue de Turenne, FEMMES is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday, 10am–6pm. It’s a must-see for anyone drawn to boundary-pushing creativity, unapologetic beauty, and the ongoing transformation of cultural narratives.
At its heart, FEMMES is more than an exhibition—it is a call to honor those who shape the world through vision, resilience, and artistry. It’s a curated space where Black joy, imagination, and empowerment take center stage.