Painter and printmaker  J. Eugene Grigsby was born in Greensboro,North Carolina.  As a boy, growing up in Charlotte, North Carolina, he met self taught painter and stonemason, Walker Foster, who invited him into his studio.  This chance meeting showed Grigsby that African Americans could pursue art and in doing so would empower himself and others.   At Morehouse College, he studied under Hale Woodruff. Like so many young African American artists, Grigsby found in him a mentor, and a lasting influence on his work throughout his career.  After graduating, he pursued a Master of Arts at Ohio State University and a Ph.D at New York University.  His doctoral thesis was a comparative study of masks from the Northwest American Indian Kwakiutl Tribe and the Kuba tribe of the Belgian Congo.

Early in his career, Grisby was known for creating scenes in oil or acrylics and woodcuts, lithographs and serigraphs that reflected his interest in depicting scenes of the everyday African American life.  As the events of the 1960’s unfolded, he was inspired to create more socially conscious art that reflected the struggles and triumphs of African Americans in resisting racism and oppression.  By 1972, Grigsby had been working as a visiting lecturer in Africa, and his work incorporated African themes.

Grigsby is internationally recognized as an educator and writer.  In 1977, he wrote the text, Art and Ethnics: Background for Teaching Youth in a Pluralistic Society, featuring the visual arts of African Americans, American Indians, and Latinos.  It is highly regarded by both scholars and artists as a definitive work of the late 20th century.  A revised edition was completed in 1997 which included Asian American visual art.

Grigsby continued to produce and show his work until his death in 2013. His work may be found in the collections of Arizona State University Art Museum, Tempe; Delta Art Center, Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Malcolm X College, Chicago; Milwaukee Art Museum, Wisconsin; and Ohio State University, Columbus Ohio.

Solo Exhibitions

2001 The Art of EUGENE GRIGSBY, JR.: The Eye of Shamba, Phoenix Art Museum, AZ*

2002 Eugene Grigsby: Works on Paper, Arizona State University Art Museum, Tempe, AZ

2007 Eugene Grigsby: 89 Years, 89 Pieces - A Celebration, Heddenart Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ

2015 Selected Works of J. EUGENE GRIGSBY, JR.: Returing to Where the Artistic Seed Was Planted, Harvey B. Gantt Center for African American Arts + Culture, Charlotte, NC

Lot 127

Self-Portrait
1970
acrylic on paper
17-3/4 x 12 inches
unsigned, but identified by artist verso

Exhibited: The Eye of Shamba: The Art of Eugene Grigsby, Jr.: A 65 Year Retrospective, Phoenix Art Museum, 2001
Illustrated: the catalog accompanying the exhibition.

A rare and important work by Grigsby. ALL self-portraits by historical black artists are crucial.

Group Exhibitions

1938 2nd Annual Exhibit of African American Artists, Dillard University Art Gallery, New Orleans, LA

1940 Exhibition of the Art of the American Negro (1851-1940), Tanner Art Galleries, Chicago, IL

1968 New Perspectives in Black Art. Kaiser Center Gallery, Oakland Museum of Art. CA

1979 Black Artists / South., Huntsville Museum of Art, AL

1980 The First Annual Atlanta Life National Art Competition and Exhibition. Atlanta Life Insurance Co., Atlanta, GA

1999 Celebration and Vision: The Hewitt Collection of African-American Art, Bank of America Gallery and Mint Museum of Art, Charlotte, NC

2011 MAHALIA: Queen of Gospel Music, Stella Jones Gallery, New Orleans, LA

2012 Three Legacies, Carver Museum, Phoenix, AZ