Jacob Lawrence

artist · African-American history · Harlem · painting

Bold, colorful style. Jacob Lawrence created paintings that mixed blacks and browns with vivid, bright colors to show the African-American experience in a way that had never been seen before.

Inspired by Harlem. Living in Harlem, New York, Lawrence found endless inspiration in the everyday lives of the people around him, turning ordinary moments into extraordinary art.

Dynamic cubism. Lawrence called his own art style 'dynamic cubism,' which was an art form that came from inspiration from West African and Meso-American art combined with modern European ideas.

Teacher and artist. Beyond painting, Lawrence spent 16 years as a professor at the University of Washington, sharing his knowledge and passion for art with students.

Historical storyteller. He was especially known for creating paintings about important moments in African-American history, bringing stories that mattered to life on canvas.