April showers often lead to stacks of unread books, and we have some exciting additions for your spring reading list! These selections focus on exploring history through the eyes of artists. New York-based Molly Crabapple leverages her experience as a painter and organizer to explore the Jewish Bund, while Susan Simensky Bietila recounts her extensive career as an environmental activist and feminist artist. Among the catalogs, the first detailed volume on Theresa Hak Kyung Cha delves into her artistic experimentation and personal life, while a 50-year retrospective on Chicano photography examines the art form’s growth. Dive into more inspiring reads below. —Lakshmi Rivera Amin
Front Lines: A Lifetime of Drawing Resistance by Susan Simensky Bietila | PM Press, February
Susan Simensky Bietila is renowned for her art in support of activist movements. This compelling memoir begins with her family’s history, from escaping Russian pogroms to navigating life in Brooklyn’s East New York. The book is filled with humorous and poignant moments, such as her recollection of the 1962 Cuban missile crisis as her first political awakening. It includes a variety of her editorial and activist graphics, like the collage covers for The Guardian. This book showcases her involvement in Wisconsin’s environmental and labor movements and early feminist activism in New York. —Hrag Vartanian
Chicano Camera Culture: A Photographic History, 1966 to 2026, edited by Elizabeth Ferrer | Riverside Art Museum and the University of Washington Press, March
The catalog, coinciding with the exhibition at The Cheech and Riverside Art Museum, is a tribute to the photographers chronicling Mexican-American identity and political movements. Rudy Rodriguez’s image of Dolores Huerta from a 1974 rally is a standout, showcasing the impact of women on Chicano political consciousness and the photographers who expanded its visual narrative. —Lakshmi Rivera Amin
Ewa Juszkiewicz: Recent Paintings by Katy Hessel, Lisa Small, Ewa Juszkiewicz, and Jennifer Higgie | Gagosian and Rizzoli, March
I was captivated by Polish surrealist Ewa Juszkiewicz when I saw her work on Regan Penaluna’s book cover. Juszkiewicz’s portraits, rendered in a 19th-century European style, often obscure women’s faces with fabrics or other elements, challenging conventional portraiture. This first monograph features over 30 works from 2019 to 2024, accompanied by essays and a conversation with the artist, offering a detailed yet enigmatic view of her art. —Sophia Stewart
Samurai, edited by Rosina Buckland and Oleg Benesch | The British Museum and the University of Washington Press, March
If you’re a fan of Japanese history and warrior culture, this book is for you. Samurai explores the warrior class’s history and cultural impact, with stunning illustrations of Japanese artifacts. It examines how samurai culture remains influential in modern media and fashion, revealing fascinating insights, such as the detailed documentation provided for the Shogun series. —Nageen Shaikh
