Black Madonna (novel)

Black Madonna is a 1985 novel by American author Jean Genet. It tells the story of a white, homosexual male art student named Bulka, living in the United States. Bulka becomes obsessed with creating a sculpture of a Black Madonna, a symbolic figure that represents, for him, an idealized and unattainable Black masculinity.

The novel explores themes of racial fetishism, the construction of identity, the relationship between art and sexuality, and the power dynamics inherent in looking and being looked at. Bulka's obsession with the Black Madonna leads him down a path of self-destruction and delusion. The novel is noted for its complex and controversial exploration of race and sexuality, and for its challenging and often disturbing imagery. It has been interpreted as a critique of both the white gaze and the internalization of racist stereotypes. The novel blends elements of autobiography and fiction.