Cullen Washington Jr. facts for kids

Cullen Washington, Jr. (born in 1972) is an amazing African-American artist. He creates modern abstract paintings. Cullen Washington, Jr. lives and works in New York City.

Early Life and Learning

Cullen Washington, Jr. was born in Alexandria, Louisiana in 1972. When he was a kid, he really liked science. But he also knew from a young age that he wanted to be an artist.

His family was very supportive. His parents and two sisters helped him develop his art skills. When he was just 9 years old, he had his first art show! It was at his elementary school in Alexandria. This made him even more excited about art.

Cullen went to college to study art. He earned a special degree called a BFA from Louisiana State University. Later, he got an even higher degree, a MFA, from Tufts University.

Art Career Highlights

Where His Art Has Been Shown

Cullen Washington, Jr.'s art has been displayed in many famous places. These include:

• The Studio Museum in Harlem
• The Contemporary Arts Museum Houston
• Saatchi Gallery in London
• The Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago

In early 2020, the University of Michigan Museum of Art had a special show of his work. It was called Cullen Washington, Jr.: The Public Square. The show was supposed to last until May. However, the museum had to close early in March because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Because of this, the museum decided to put his art online. This way, people could still see his amazing work from home!

Artist Programs

Cullen has also been part of several "artist in residence" programs. This is where an artist gets to live and work in a special place for a while. It helps them focus on creating new art. Some of these places include:

• Amherst College (2016–2017)
• The Fountainhead Residency (2016)
• The Studio Museum in Harlem (2013)
• Rush Arts Gallery (2012)
• Yaddo (2011)
• Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture (2010)

His Unique Art Style

Cullen Washington, Jr. creates abstract art. This means his paintings don't show real-life objects or people. Instead, they use shapes, colors, and textures to express ideas and feelings.

He uses many different and interesting materials in his artwork. These include:

• Tape
• Canvas
• Acrylic paint
• Charcoal dust
• Black chalkboard paint
• Paper
• Black copier toner
• Black ink
• Kraft paper (a strong paper)
• Wax-coated cotton string
• Latex house paint
• Rubber
• Wire
• Hot plastic glue
• Earphone cushions

Cullen describes his art as "non-representational." This is another way of saying it doesn't try to look like anything specific from the real world.