In Our Image
Curated by Shardé Marchewski
February 6 - March 1st, 2026
This show presents a selection from the personal collection of Shardé Marchewski, a Boston art collector, and includes a range of thoughtfully curated artworks reflecting her own lived experience. As a Black American woman married to an East German man, raising three children in Boston, Marchewski’s collection focuses on artworks that showcase their family’s cultural heritage. It seeks to respond to the question “how can artwork both reflect one’s identity while also fostering a greater understanding and appreciation for its expression?”
About the Curator
Shardé Marchewski is a Boston-based art collector whose personal collection explores themes of identity, heritage, and belonging through the lens of both diasporic and German art. Blending her background in culture and commerce, she approaches collecting as a form of storytelling, one that connects history, family, and community across generations.
Her collection features a thoughtful mix of emerging and established artists, including Otis Kwame Kye Quaicoe, Jess Owens-Young, Clementine Hunter, Obou Gbais, David Driskell, Robert Indiana, and Max Pechstein, among others. Each work reflects a deep appreciation for narrative, from African and Afro-diasporic perspectives to German Expressionism, celebrating the intersections of personal history and global identity.
Marchewski’s collection is deeply personal. Her husband, Jens, is from Germany, and together they’ve built a collection that bridges their cultures, honoring the emotional intensity, symbolism, and social commentary found in German art alongside the vibrancy, spirituality, and resilience of the Black diaspora.
Guided by the belief that art is both legacy and language, Marchewski’s approach to collecting is intentional and emotional. Her home functions as both living gallery and cultural archive, a space where art becomes a medium for dialogue about identity, memory, and the beauty of everyday life.