Darby English is not just an academic—he’s a vibrant voice in the ongoing conversation about art, culture, and race. Joining the University of Chicago’s faculty in 2003, he made his mark in the disciplines of art history and cultural studies, earning the prestigious Llewellyn John and Harriet Manchester Quantrell Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching in 2010. He is also an associate faculty member in both the Department of Visual Arts and the Center for the Study of Race, Politics, and Culture.

English’s scholarly interests are as diverse as they are deep. He investigates modern and contemporary American and European art, particularly African American art and works produced after World War I. His current research shines a spotlight on Noah Purifoy, an artist and activist whose activities during the 1965 Watts Rebellion in Los Angeles sought to demystify the art-making process. English is also putting the finishing touches on Uptake, a reflective book exploring the intersection of ego, otherness, and intellectual engagement with art, drawing on his experiences teaching art history and studio practice during the pandemic.

English’s bibliography is as impressive as his academic roles, with numerous book-length publications under his belt. His monographs include Charles Ray: Adam and Eve (2024), To Describe a Life: Notes from the Intersection of Art and Race Terror (2019), 1971: A Year in the Life of Color (2016), and How to See a Work of Art in Total Darkness (2007). He’s also coedited several influential volumes, including Among Others: Blackness at MoMA with Charlotte Barat, named one of the New York Times’ best art books of 2019, a finalist for the 2020 PROSE Award, and among ARTnews’ best art books of the decade, and Art History and Emergency: Crises in the Visual Arts and Humanities (2016), a collaboration with David Breslin. English’s impact was demonstrated early in his career in Kara Walker: Narratives of a Negress (2003), alongside contributions from Ian Berry, Vivian Patterson, and Mark Reinhardt.