John Biggers
(1924 - 2001)
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.