James Lesesne Wells
American artist, 1902–1993
After graduation he moved to New York City, where he studied at the National Academy of Design. He attended Lincoln University for a year before transferring to Columbia University Teachers College where he majored in art education. In New York in the 1920s, Wells was part of the rich cultural ferment of the Harlem Renaissance. He saw African art at the Brooklyn Museum and began to incorporate African motifs and styles into his prints. When he graduated, he found work in illustration, producing modern, African-influenced block prints and drawings for publication in books and literary magazines. Wells' striking modern prints attracted notice and in 1929 he received a job teaching at Howard University in Washington, DC. Wells was also exhibiting widely and he won an award at the annual Harmon Foundation exhibition in 1931.
Although he was also a painter, during the Great Depression Wells decided to focus on printmaking, in hopes of reaching a broader audience by producing more affordable art. In 1933 he married Ophelia Davidson and joined a prominent family of activists. Wells became active in fighting segregation.
Wells retired in 1968 and traveled to West Africa the following year. Wells won many awards and his work is in the collections of most major American art museums.
Person TypeIndividual
Terms
- artists
- male
- African American
American sculptor and printmaker, born 1935
Polish painter and draftsman, 1907–1989
American painter, illustrator, author, 1895–1976
American illustrator, painter, printmaker, and author, born 1940
American artist, born 1984
American painter and illustrator, 1861–1956
