Giants

Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys is a comprehensive volume accompanying a major Brooklyn Museum exhibition. It presents selections from the Dean Collection, the world-class holdings of musical and cultural icons Swizz Beatz (Kasseem Dean) and Alicia Keys. The book highlights 100 works by nearly 40 multigenerational Black American, African, and African diasporic artists, hand-picked and curated for the exhibition of the same name. It includes an exclusive conversation between curator Kimberli Gant and Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys, as well as interviews with ten legendary artists. Central to the Dean collecting philosophy—“by the artist, for the artist, with the people”—the project brings together these “giants” to illuminate voices across generations and geographies.

The volume features a curated roster of artists such as Nina Chanel Abney, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Jordan Casteel, Nick Cave, Kehinde Wiley, Mickalene Thomas, Amy Sherald, Lorna Simpson, Gord​on Parks, and Hank Willis Thomas, among others. It documents contemporary art through a diasporic lens, spotlighting creative practices across painting, sculpture, photography, and installation. The hardcover edition offers 256 pages of rich plates and contextual essays, providing readers with deep insight into the Dean Collection and its evolving dialogue with artists and audiences.

• 100 works by nearly 40 artists
• Diasporic focus across Black American and African artists
• Exclusive curator and artist interviews
• Includes roster of prominent contemporary artists
• Hardcover, 256 pages, 1st edition

• 1. Read curator-artist conversations for context
• 2. Explore selected works and accompanying essays
• 3. Review artist interviews to hear personal perspectives