Art by Purvis Young
Urban Expressionist

Purvis Young - Biography


Purvis Young was born in Liberty City, a neighborhood of Miami, Florida, on February 2, 1943. As a young boy his uncle introduced him to drawing, but Young lost interest quickly. He never attended high school. 

In the early seventies he found inspiration in the mural movements of Chicago and Detroit, and decided to create a mural of inspiration - Overtown. He had never painted before, but inspiration struck and he began to create paintings and nailing them to the boarded up storefronts that formed the alley.

The mural garnished media attention, subsequently making Purvis a celebrity in Miami. In the late 1990s and early 2000s he began exploring other inspirations by watching historical documentaries about war, the Great Depression, commerce, and Native American conflicts and struggles in the United States. In 1999 the Rubell family, notable art collectors from New York, purchased the entire content of Young's studio, a collection of almost 3,000 pieces. In 2008 the Rubell's donated 108 works to Morehouse College.


Purvis Young died on April 20, 2010, in Miami.

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