Born in 1960 in London’s East End, Isaac Julien grew up in poverty, the son of immigrants from the Caribbean. In 1985, he graduated from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, where his focus was painting and film. A quest for social justice informed his work. Julien collaborated with Maureen Blackwood, Martina Attille, and Nadine Marsh-Edwards to form the Sankofa Film and Video Collective, which fostered Black film culture. A major breakthrough came in 1989, when Julien filmed Looking for Langston, a poignant drama-documentary that explored the life of Langston Hughes and the turbulent Harlem Renaissance. Almost four decades later, Julien’s video-art installations have made him world famous. This exhibition at the De Young, featuring 10 installations that span 25 years, is his most important U.S. museum survey to date. —Elena Clavarino