Harry L. Davis

Harry Lee Davis was born in Wilmington, North Carolina in 1949. Davis' talent as an artist was evident from the sketches he drew as a youngster but he did not pursue that talent for many years. While serving as a military policeman with the famed 82nd Airborne Division of the U. S. Army, Davis' life was forever changed. A fellow MP’s gun discharged on base and the bullet struck Davis in the spine, leaving him confined to a wheelchair. It was after this debilitating injury that Davis earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, and returned to his love of art. He is self-taught; his art training having been limited to trial and error along with constant practice.

Davis has become widely recognized as one of the premier African American artists in the country. His work has appeared in numerous group and solo exhibitions and he is the recipient of many awards and honors. The Davis style is impressionistic realism and uses bright, vivid colors. Davis believes that he doesn't try to say anything profound or philosophical in his paintings, yet they are powerful and striking images that rarely fail to move the viewer. As an example, the musician playing the pipe flute in his Pipe Player painting is so thoroughly engrossed in his instrument that he seems oblivious to the viewer. This piece was singled out by U.S. Art Gallery magazine as a truly notable work of art. Davis' enigmatic works of African life and the rural American South have become highly sought after additions to private and public collections. Private owners include celebrities Halle Berry, the late James Brown, Bill Cosby, Carl Lumbly, Gloria Naylor, Denzel Washington and the late Nell Carter.