Artist Profile

Born in Hampton, Virginia, Calvin Coleman spent his adolescent years in Swarthmore, a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania suburb. After graduating from Lincoln University where he earned his B.S. degree in Early Childhood Education, Coleman taught for fourteen years before branching out and indulging in his craft completely.

After six years of traveling the country and abroad with his art, Coleman made another transition back to the education field, to instruct children and teenagers in a school setting. Following his passion, Coleman’s paintings have shown in a number of galleries throughout the United States and across Europe France and Italy (U.S .Embassy in Rome).

As a self-taught artist, that incorporates Abstract Expressionism and Fauvism, Coleman builds upon the canvas with an assemblage of heavy body acrylic paint, a variety of textiles and other mediums to embellish his uninhibited style of painting. In recognizing a great interest in brilliant colors and texture, he has admired the techniques of Richard Mayhew, who has been an influence in Coleman’s development, and more recently, the sculpting style of Henry Moore and Russian painter, Nicholas De Stael’s abstraction.

The inspirations behind the contemporary style that Coleman conveys to his audience, has much to do with his spiritual connection to self and the universe around him. His observation of people, love for nature’s beauty, lyrics of songs from a vast genre of music, and his journey through life has also been instruments in his development as an artist. In Art Matters, January 2007, art critic Wuanda Walls stated, Calvin’s work is “endowed with an aura of originality and poetic whimsy.”

Published Author of, COLEMAN HIS ART STORY, A hardcover book that allows the reader to take a look into the process and intentions on some of the paintings of Coleman. Commissions include: Lincoln University, “Mural”, 2012; Lincoln University, “The Lion”, 2012; Verizon Wireless and Global Hue, “One Accord” 2008.

Calvin A. Coleman II presently resides in Baltimore, Maryland where he continues his quest to become the absolute best artist he can be while expanding his creativity to evoke emotions from those that view his gifted works.