BIOGRAPHIES OF MFA AFRICAN AMERICAN ARTISTS
1. John Thomas Biggers, American, 1924-2001: John Thomas Biggers was born in Gastonia,
North Carolina to a poor family. He attended college with the intention of becoming a plumber
but found art and received both an advanced degree in Art Education. His work has been shown
in numerous exhibitions. Biggers taught as a professor at Texas Southern University for many
years and continued to paint and inspire other aspiring artists. The rural South has served as
the inspiration for many of Biggers most famous work where he strives to show the diverse
nature and rich culture of the South through the combination of African folk cultures and
western modernism. His work Shotguns, 1983-1986, charcoal and conte crayon on paper, is on
display at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
2. Mark Bradford, American, 1961: California native Mark Bradford was born in Los Angeles. He
attended the California Institute of the Arts and graduated with an advanced degree in Art. He
has been featured in many exhibitions across the United States and has won awards for his
talent and skill as an artist. Bradford is regarded for his skill of combining collage and painting to
create a transforming experience for the viewer. His work Backward C, 2005, mixed media
collage on canvas, is on display at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
3. Grafton Tyler Brown, American, 1841-1918: Grafton Tyler Brown was born in Harrisburg,
Pennsylvania. In search of better economic and social opportunities, Brown traveled out west.
He is was lithographer, cartographer and painter. Utilizing his skills, Brown worked as a
lithographer for Kuchel and Dresel. He is considered the first African American artist to have
success in California. Gaining momentum and fame, Brown purchased the lithography company
and continued to travel throughout the United States creating maps and prints of important
sites. He settled in Minnesota where he spent the rest of his life working as a draughtsman for
the U.S. Army Engineer’s Office. Brown actively practiced landscape painting and was known for
his beautiful scenes of the American West. Brown’s work A Yellowstone Geyser, 1887, oil on
canvas, is on display at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
4. Eldzier Cortor, American, born in 1916: Growing up in the metropolis of Chicago, Eldzier
Cortor was born in Tidewater, Virginia. He attended the Art Institute of Chicago where he
received his degree. Cortor began to work for the WPA or Works Progress Administration
where he depicted scenes of the Depression as it affected Chicago. Cortor later traveled to
Cuba, Jamaica, and Haiti where he taught at the Centre d’Art. Cortor is best known for his use
of traditional African culture combined with European surrealism to create elongated nude
figures. Cortor’s works Room No. V, 1948, oil on masonite; Still Life: Past Revisited, 1973, oil on
canvas; and Environment, 1947, oil on board are on display at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
5. Allan Rohan Crite, American, 1910-2007: Allan Rohan Crite was born in North Plainfield, New
Jersey but spent most of his life in Boston, Massachusetts. His mother was a poet and
encouraged her son to pursue the arts. Crite attended the School of the Museum of Fine Arts
and Harvard University, and received an honorary doctorate from Suffolk University. Crite
worked as an engineering draughtsman for 30 years in the Boston Naval Shipyard. However, he
is recognized for depicting either religious scenes or images of African-American experiences,
often combining the two. Crite felt he was a storyteller and that his paintings were a way to
preserve a single moment that may have otherwise been forgotten. Crite has been featured in
exhibitions throughout the New England area. He passed away from natural causes at the age
of 97. Crite’s work Tire Jumping in Front of My Window, 1936-1947, oil on canvasboard, is
featured at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
6. Beauford Delaney, American, 1901-1979: Beauford Delaney was born and raised in
Knoxville, Tennessee to a well respected, religious family. Always having a passion for art,
Delaney received his first break when Llyod Branson noticed his talents and brought Delaney as
an apprentice to Boston. There, Delaney received an artistic education and learned the
fundamental techniques for painting. Seeking more opportunities, Delaney moved to New York
at the height of the Harlem Renaissance. Although he did not participate in the Harlem
Renaissance, his style drew upon the music and color that inspired many other artists. Delaney
lived a lonely life in New York, afraid to express his homosexuality openly, and decided to move
to Paris. Stimulated by the works of the expressionist artists, Delaney’s style was on the cutting
edge of the Abstract Expressionist movement that was rising in the United States.
Unfortunately, Delaney suffered from serious mental illness and was institutionalized in Paris
until his death. His work Greene Street, 1940, oil on canvas, is on view at the Museum of Fine
Arts, Boston.
7. Aaron Douglas, American, 1899-1979: Aaron Douglas, often known as the “Father of African
American art”, was born in Topeka, Kansas. Encouraged to pursue art by his mother, Douglas
earned his degree and moved to Harlem, New York. Douglas was a key contributor to the
Harlem Renaissance. His produced brilliant murals, illustrations, portraits and landscapes
representing fellow African Americans emerging with power and respect. Douglas moved to
France to learn the traditional French techniques of painting and his style became influenced by
European modernism, Ancient Egyptian, and African art. Douglas’s works often show
geometric, flat forms with hard edges in expressive and volatile colors. His work Untitled, 1930,
gouache on artist’s board, is featured at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
8. Dave Drake (Dave the Potter), American, c. 1800-1870: Dave Drake lived in South Carolina
during slavery and the Civil Ward, yet created many masterful works of art. He was given the
name “Dave the Potter” because his main works of art were pottery. Drake was one of the few
slaves who was literate and risked breaking the law by expressing his thoughts and creating
poems on his pots. Trying to fight the life of a slave, Drake had hope for a better life and used
his inspirational words to express his true feelings in the public domain. Drake’s work Storage
Jar, 1857, stoneware with alkaline glaze, is at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
9. Robert S. Duncanson, American, 1821-1872: Robert S. Duncanson was born in Seneca
County, New York but lived in Canada with his father while his mother lived in Mount Pleasant,
Ohio. Duncanson moved to Mount Pleasant to pursue a career in art. He is often associated
with the Hudson River School of art and received fame for his landscape paintings. Duncanson
wanted to make his work into something more impressive and utilized moral messages and
literary references to enhance his paintings. With the onset of the Civil War, Duncanson moved
to Canada where his painting transcended due to the inspiration of the Canadian landscape.
After, he went to the United Kingdom where he created some of his most famous paintings
until returning to the United States for the remainder of his life. Duncanson’s painting style
reverted to the pastoral, serene and peaceful landscape scenes of the Rococo. His work Dog’s
Head of Scotland, 1870, oil on canvas, is on view at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
10. Robert Freeman, American, born in 1946: Washington D.C. native Robert Freeman has been
showing his art for over 20 years and has been incorporated in many exhibitions throughout the
United States. Freeman is known for his luminous and commanding paintings that often portray
the interactions between groups of people. He is a master at demonstrating emotion and body
language through the people shown in his portraits however Freeman adds an abstract flair to
his paintings. His work Black Tie, 1981, oil on canvas, is on display at the Museum of Fine Arts,
Boston in the American wing.
11. Ellen Gallagher, American, born in 1965: Ellen Gallagher, born in Providence, Rhode Island,
is from a biracial background. She received her degree from the School of the Museum of Fine
Arts in Fine Arts and continued her artistic education at the Skowhegan School of Painting and
Sculpture in Maine. Gallagher has been featured in exhibitions both with other artists and as a
solo exhibition. Race is often a key influence on her works of art and she employs many artistic
media for her works including painting, works on paper, film and more. Gallagher’s Tally, 1994,
oil, pencil, and paper on canvas, is at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
12. Wifredo Lam, Cuban, 1902-1982: Wifredo Lam was born in Sagua La Grande to an
interracial family. Surrounded by the African influence, Lam grew up with the culture and
religion of his African descendants. While studying law Lam developed a love of botany and art.
In pursuit of his artistic career, Lam moved to Madrid. Lam learned a variety of painting styles
from Matisse and the expressionists to the art of the surrealists. He moved to France and
became acquainted with Pablo Picasso. The art of Picasso served as a major influence for Lam
and is evident in many of his paintings. With the outbreak of WWII, Lam moved to Marseilles
and rejoined the Surrealist movement. Returning to Cuba, Lam was inspired by the Afro-Cuban
influence. Lam feared that Cubans were losing their African heritage and wanted to revive the
spirit through his paintings. Traveling and showing his work throughout New York, Cuba and
France, Lam settled in Paris and would spend the remainder of his life there. His work Untitled,
1943, oil on burlap, is on view at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
13. Norman Lewis, American, 1909-1979: Norman Lewis was a Harlem native however, his
parents descended from Bermuda. His painting style was mostly figurative, attempting to
represent life as he saw it. He joined the WPA and became friends with many influential artists
such as Jackson Pollock. Lewis’ style developed into more abstract forms and he was associated
with the Abstract expressionist movement. His work was featured in exhibitions but Lewis did
not gain as much success as his contemporaries. Lewis’ work Untitled, c. 1960-64, oil on canvas,
is featured at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
14. Al Loving, American, 1935-2005: Al Loving was born in Detroit, Michigan. He was regarded
as the foremost African American artist of the Abstract Expressionist movement. Inspired to be
an artist at a young age, Loving strived to become a fine artist. Studying under Hans Hoffman’s
student Al Mullen, Loving learned Hoffman’s techniques of geometric shapes, bold colors, and
floating figures of Abstract Expressionism. Loving always created unique and distinct works of
art that established a personal mark for the artist. He taught at many universities and
continued to distinguish himself as an African American artist. Loving’s Cube 27, 1970, acrylic on
shaped canvas, is on display at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
15. Gordon Parks, American, 1912-2006: Gordon Parks, a renowned photographer, musician,
poet, novelist, activist, journalist and film director, was born in Fort Knox, Kansas. Parks was
inspired by photographs of early migrant workers. He began his career as a portrait and fashion
photographer. Parks received his break taking photographs of a cleaning woman that were
controversial for a segregated society but showed the truth of American reality. Gaining
increasing respect and encouragement, Parks moved to New York and became a fashion
photographer for Vogue. Other photographer opportunities arouse for Park but he always
pursued fashion photography. Eventually, Parks was made a photographer for Life magazine
where he shot images of fashion, sports, political controversies, influential people, and all
aspects of American life. Parks’ photograph Untitled (Outside the Liberty Theater), 1950, gelatin
silver print, is featured at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
16. Rudolph Robinson, American, 1937-1988: Robinson’s Bench, 1982-82, padouk, is on view at
the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
17. Walter Augustus Simon, American, 1916-1979: Walter Augustus Simon was born in
Brooklyn, New York. He attended Pratt Institute, The National Academy of Design, and New
York University where he received his bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees in Art
History. During World War II, Simon served in the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers. He later taught
at numerous universities across the country and also had many of his artwork featured in
exhibitions. Simon’s work 715 Washington Street, Greenwich Village, 1947, oil on canvas with
additional mixed media, is on display at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
18. Art Smith, American, 1917-1982: Art Smith was born in Cuba and emigrated to the United
States. Smith was one of the leading pioneers in modernist jewelry. He opened his first shop in
Greenwich Village in 1946. Smith was inspired by surrealism, biomorphism, and primitivism and
utilizes these qualities in his jewelry. Although his jewelry sometimes may give the appearance
of a heavy material, Smith emphasizes the wearable and light weight nature of his pieces.
Besides being an active member of the artistic world, Smith supported Civil Rights for African
Americans and Gay Rights. Smith’s pieces Galaxy Neckpiece, c. 1960, silver; “Modern Cuff”
bracelet, c. 1948, copper and brass; “Lava” bracelet, c. 1946, copper and brass; and Necklace, c.
1958, silver, turquoise, rhodochrosite, and chrysoprase are featured in the Museum of Fine
Arts, Boston.
19. Hughie-Lee Smith, American, 1915-1999: Hughie- Lee Smith was born in Eucis, Florida but
he soon moved to Atlanta to live with his grandmother. At the age of ten Lee Smith moved once
again to Ohio were he began his artistic education. He attended many institutes for the arts and
received his BA at Wayne State University in Detroit. Lee Smith taught, performed in dance
companies, and painted. Many of the themes of Lee Smith’s paintings were either of the Great
Depression or thoughtful memories of the carnivals and the life he had growing up with his
grandmother in Atlanta. His style is reflective of Cubism, Surrealism, and Social Realism which
he expressed in a mysterious and emotional manner. Lee Smith’s work has been included in
countless exhibitions around the United States. His work The Juggler #1, c. 1964, oil on canvas,
is featured at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
20. Henry Ossawa Tanner, American, 1859-1937: Born and raised Pennsylvania native, Henry
Ossawa Tanner enrolled at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts where he was the only
African American student of the time. Here, Tanner learned an in depth perspective about
human anatomy and how to properly portray the weight and accuracy of the human body
through art. Tanner received little appreciation for his artistic talents and decided to move to
France to further pursue his art career. There he began to create mostly religious works of art.
With a growing interest in Orientalism, Tanner moved to Palestine for further inspiration.
Tanner is categorized as a realist painter, depicting what he saw from life rather than an
abstract representation of the world. He experimented with light and shadow to create a mood
and atmosphere unique to his paintings. Tanner’s Interior of a Mosque, Cairo, 1897, oil on
canvas, is shown at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
21. Kara Walker, American, born in 1969: Kara Walker was born in Stockton, California. She
attended the Rhode Island School of Design where she first began to work with the silhouette.
She is renowned for her skills as a silhouette artist and painter. In the past, silhouettes were an
inexpensive form of portraiture. Often her works are reminiscent of the past silhouettes. Her
work has been featured in exhibitions and continues to be shown today. Walker’s The Rich Soil
Down There, 2002, cut paper and adhesive on painted wall, is on view at the Museum of Fine
Arts, Boston.
22. Fred Wilson, American, born in 1954: Fred Wilson, a man from the Bronx, New York
received his BFA at Purchase College. Even though Wilson studied and valued the traditional
artistic practices, he became more interested in installation art and working with objects hands
on. His works comment on museums themselves, often questioning artistic value, display, and
the curator’s interpretations and historical truths. He has received critical acclaim throughout
the United States and the world and continues to be featured in prominent exhibitions. His
work Iago’s Mirror, 2009, Murano glass, is part of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston collection.
23. Hale Aspacio Woodruff, American, 1900-1980: Hale Aspacio Woodruff was born in Cairo,
Illinois but moved to Tennessee after the death of his father. Woodruff studied art at the Heron
Art Institute in Indianapolis. He moved to France to further his artistic pursuits but returned to
the United States and began teaching at Atlanta University, becoming the first art teacher at a
University in Georgia. Woodruff’s earlier works were inspired by the Cubism particularly used in
France during the time he spent there as well as emphasizing his African heritage. He often
portrayed the rural settings of Georgia in his paintings. Woodruff later moved to New York
were he taught at New York University until his death. His work Big Wind in Georgia, 19331936, oil on masonite, is displayed at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.