White, Charles
1918-1979 · Contribution: 1938-1979
Painting, drawing, printmaking, and murals chronicling African American history, dignity, and struggle in bold, sculptural, social-realist forms; famed for the mural 'The Contribution of the Negro to American Democracy' (1943)
Portraits are AI-generated interpretations, not photographs.
Impact on the world
A central figure of the Chicago Black Renaissance who used representational art and accessible printmaking as tools of social justice; an influential teacher at the Otis Art Institute whose students included Kerry James Marshall and David Hammons.
Life & background
African-American artist born Charles Wilbert White on April 2, 1918 in Chicago. Studied at the Art Institute of Chicago; created WPA murals; worked at Mexico's Taller de Grafica Popular. Briefly married to Elizabeth Catlett. Taught at Otis from 1965 until his death Oct 3, 1979 in Los Angeles.
Sources
- National Gallery of Art; Artnet; The Johnson Collection
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