John Biggers Art

Art Brokerage: Dr. John Biggers, an internationally acclaimed painter, sculptor, teacher and philosopher, was born in Gastonia, North Carolina on April 13, 1924. Biggers explored his own life and heritage through the study of art at Hampton Institute (now Hampton University) in Hampton, Virginia. Biggers' artistic talent was encouraged and nurtured by Viktor Lowebfeld, an art educator at Hampton Institute. In 1943 while at Hampton, Biggers' work was featured in the exhibition "Young Negro Art", present at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Six years later Biggers relocated to Houston and established the art department at Texas Southern University, where he served as professor for more than 30 years. Dr. Biggers received a UNESCO fellowship in 1957 that enabled him to become one of the first African American artists to visit Africa. His art was profoundly influenced by his direct contact with the wonder of the continent and its people. Dr. Biggers retired from teaching in 1983 and devoted himself exclusively to his art. The works of John Biggers features prominently in the history of African American art and is included in private collections and museums at home and abroad.