Figuratively fearless.
At Blu Dot, we think creativity and authenticity go hand
in hand. In honor of Black History Month, we’ve gathered four titles that
celebrate Black makers who reshaped culture by staying true to their vision.
From Howard Smith’s cross-continental design journey and the poetic realism of
Dawoud Bey and Carrie Mae Weems, to the spiritual world of Alice Coltrane and
the genre-defying work of Virgil Abloh, these books remind us that even the
smallest creative act takes courage.
Howard Smith
By Stephen Wolf
Radius Books, 2025
This is the first major monograph on the Black America artist and designer who built most of his creative life—and reputation—in Finland. Working across mediums and between commercial and studio practice, Smith developed a distinct approach influenced by everything from Nordic modernism to African masks and the Black Power movement. Featuring scholarly essays and interviews with his compatriots, the book offers both critical context and a personal look at an under recognized figure whose work bridged cultures, disciplines, and continents.
Alice Coltrane:
Monument Eternal
Edited by Erin Christovale
Hammer Museum, 2025
Part biography, part spiritual study, Monument Eternal traces the expansive creative life of Alice Coltrane—harpist, composer, and spiritual leader who forged her own path inside and beyond jazz. Published alongside the Hammer Museum exhibition and drawing on her 1977 devotional text, the book brings together archival materials and contemporary interpretations to show how her music, mysticism, and independence challenged convention.
Dawoud Bey & Carrie Mae Weems: In Dialogue
Edited by Ron Platt
DelMonico Books, 2022
In Dialogue follows a decades-long
conversation on race, representation, and the power of image making. Featuring more than 140 works dating back to the late 1970s, it traces the parallel careers of Dawoud Bey and Carrie Mae Weems and their shared commitment to confronting history and expanding visibility. Together, their distinct approaches reveal photography as both a personal act and a powerful tool for documenting and interpreting Black life in America.
Virgil Abloh: Figures of Speech
Edited by Michael Darling
Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, 2022
Part manifesto, part archive, Virgil Abloh: Figures of Speech condenses the boundary-breaking career of Virgil Abloh into a single volume. Created in close collaboration before his passing, it gathers essays, interviews, and material from his personal files to reveal the process behind the work. More than a monograph, it’s a user’s manual for his genre-defying practice—and belief that creativity is there for the taking.
Fooled around and felt in love.
Completely upholstered from top to bottom, the Neat Dining Chair’s unique exterior conceals a sturdy construction of injected foam, a wood shell and metal legs. An endearing and comfortable combination of footie pajamas with a pinch of Muppet ™, Neat is designed to be as friendly to the posterior as it is to the eyes.
