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A Major American Painter from North Carolina

Born in 1924 in Gastonia, N.C., John Thomas Biggers (1924—2001) was a major American artist and educator whose work connected his experiences as a southern African American to the land of his ancestors.

John Thomas Biggers, Untitled, 1994, oil on canvas, 40 1/4 x 40 1/4 in., Purchased with funds from the North Carolina State Art Society (Robert F. Phifer Bequest), © 2016 John T. Biggers Estate

In Untitled Biggers portrays three generations in a detailed quilt-like pattern.

Watch the video below for a closer look at the painting, and hear Richard Powell, professor of art and art history at Duke University, explain Untitled’s social and cultural influences.https://player.vimeo.com/video/135271785?app_id=122963

“I’m not a big-city artist telling a big-city story; I’m a southern man telling a story about home.”

–John Thomas Biggers

Hear the artist speak about his early training, his visits to Africa, and his thoughts on arts education.

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