Kadir Nelson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kadir Nelson
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Nelson at the 2017 Texas Book Festival
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| Born | May 15, 1974 Washington, DC
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| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Pratt Institute |
| Known for | Magazine cover illustrations |
| Style | Conceptual artist |
Kadir Nelson (born May 15, 1974) is a famous American painter, illustrator, and author. He lives in Los Angeles. He is well-known for his amazing paintings. Many of these have been featured on the covers of The New Yorker magazine. He has also created album covers for music stars like Michael Jackson and Drake.
Kadir Nelson's art often focuses on African-American culture and history. The New York Times has called his work "sumptuous" and "deeply affecting." This means his paintings are rich, beautiful, and can make you feel strong emotions. He has won the important Caldecott Medal for his illustrations. He also received the Caldecott honor award twice.
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Kadir Nelson's Art Career
Kadir Nelson started his career in 1996. He worked as a conceptual artist for big movies. These included Steven Spielberg's film Amistad and the animated movie Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron.
Since then, Nelson has designed many special postage stamps for the United States Postal Service. These stamps have featured famous people like basketball player Wilt Chamberlain and baseball legend Joe Dimaggio. He has also written or illustrated over 30 picture books. Some of his famous books include Brothers of the Knight by actress Debbie Allen. Another well-known book is WE ARE THE SHIP: The Story of Negro League Baseball. This book was even featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine! He also wrote Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans.
In 2013, Nelson painted his first cover for The New Yorker magazine. It was a portrait of Nelson Mandela, a very important leader. He has created several other memorable covers for the magazine since then.
Early Life and Education
Kadir Nelson was born in Washington D.C. He grew up in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and San Diego, California. His mother, Emily Gunter, is an author. His father, Lenwood Nelson, is an educator.
Kadir learned about art from a young age. His uncle, Michael Morris, is an artist and art teacher. His uncle and his high school art teacher taught him important art skills. They showed him how to paint with oil paints. Kadir created a very impressive collection of his artwork while in high school. This helped him earn a scholarship to the famous Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York. He earned his degree from Pratt Institute in 1996.
Notable Artworks
In August 1999, Kadir Nelson's paintings were shown in Sports Illustrated magazine. These paintings showed scenes from Negro league baseball. They were some of the first in a series of artworks. This series led him to write and illustrate a book. The book, called We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro Leagues Baseball, celebrates the history of these baseball leagues. It was published in 2008.
Nelson spent seven years creating We Are the Ship. This book was highly praised by critics. It won several awards, including the Sibert Medal and a Coretta Scott King Author Award.
In 2008, the US House of Representatives asked Nelson to paint an official portrait. It was a portrait of Representative Shirley Anita Chisholm. She was the first African American woman elected to Congress. The original painting is now in the US Capitol Building in Washington DC.
In 2017, Nelson painted a portrait of Henrietta Lacks. This painting helped promote an HBO film about her life. Henrietta Lacks' cells were used in medical research without her knowledge. Her cells have helped scientists make many important discoveries. The painting was shown in museums. Later, two Smithsonian museums, the National Portrait Gallery and the National Museum of African American History and Culture, bought the painting together.
Album Cover Art
Kadir Nelson has also created art for music albums. In 2002, he made the mural used as the cover art for Swizz Beatz's album Swizz Beatz Presents G.H.E.T.T.O. Stories.
In 2005, Michael Jackson asked Nelson to paint a picture about his life story. This project was put on hold for several years. After Michael Jackson passed away in 2009, Nelson was asked to finish the portrait. It was used for Michael Jackson's album Michael, released after his death. In 2010, a giant poster of the Michael album artwork was put up in England. It was so big that it broke a Guinness World Record for the largest poster in the world!
In 2013, the music artist Drake asked Nelson to create two covers for his album Nothing Was the Same. These album covers became very famous for Drake. They even inspired many internet memes. The album stayed on the Billboard 200 sales chart for over 400 weeks after it was released.
Awards and Recognition
Kadir Nelson has received many awards for his art. He has won Gold and Silver Medals from the New York Society of Illustrators. In 2014, he won the Hamilton King Award for the best illustration of the year.
Nelson has also won three NAACP Image Awards for his illustrated picture books. His book We Are The Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball was named a New York Times Best Illustrated Book.
He has won the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award three times (in 2005, 2007, and 2020). He also received the Caldecott Honor twice (in 2007 and 2008). For We Are the Ship, he won the 2008 CASEY Award for best baseball book. He also won the 2009 Coretta Scott King Author Award and the 2009 Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award. In 2012, he won the Coretta Scott King Author Award again for Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans. In 2020, Nelson won the top Caldecott Medal and another Coretta Scott King Award for his illustrations in The Undefeated.
Art Exhibitions
Kadir Nelson's art has been shown in many galleries and museums. These include the Muskegon Museum of Art, the Chicago Art Institute, and The Studio Museum in Harlem.
His portrait of Henrietta Lacks is now part of the collections at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery and the National Museum of African American History and Culture. His portrait of chef José Andrés is also in the collection of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery.
