The Artistry of Larry D. Alexander
Born in Dermott, Arkansas, Larry D. Alexander is an American artist, Christian author, and Catechist. His creative journey began at the age of four, though he is a self-taught artist who never received formal art training. His visual repertoire is characterized by elaborate, colorful, and black and white pen and ink drawings utilizing a specific crosshatching or hatching technique, alongside acrylic paintings, oils, and watercolors. His work often explores the African-American experience and various facets of American history. Notably, his rendition of a Clinton Family Portrait oil painting was presented to U.S. President Bill Clinton in 1995 and is held in the collection at the Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Series and Subject Matter
Alexander’s body of work is organized into several distinct thematic collections. His Dermott Series consists of twenty oil and acrylic paintings offering a nostalgic view of his childhood in rural southeast Arkansas, featuring sites such as a cotton gin and his childhood home. The Detroit Series captures various locations in Detroit, Michigan, including Belle Isle Park and the Detroit River. His Delta Series, painted in acrylics, depicts the Mississippi Alluvial Plain region. Additionally, his Sixties Series features elaborate pen and ink drawings of prominent figures and events from the 1960s, such as the civil rights marches and portraits of Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. Beyond historical and regional themes, he has created numerous works centered on Christian and biblical themes.
