John Holyfield

John Holyfield is considered one of the top contemporary black artists in the nation. His work has a strong southern folksy feel, capturing the essence of rural life. His main themes are family, spirituality and culture. For much of his subject matter, he draws from his family members, childhood memories and stories from his grandmothers...which explains the repetition of women in his works. John has always been captivated by the church and often depicts images related to spirituality. John also focuses on aspects such as music, heritage and traditions that set his race apart from others... yet his use of timeless themes make the images relevant to anyone who views them.

Such artists as Ernie Barnes and Norman Rockwell inspire John's style. Like Barnes, his compositions are full of movement and his characters elongated and distorted. John's images seem to capture a snap-shot of a moment. This style of visual story-telling is inspired by the narrative style of Norman Rockwell.

​Over the span of his career, John's works have been featured on the sets of TV shows, as well as in literature, text and children's books. His art has been exhibited in galleries and frame shops across the country and adorned the walls of thousands of art collectors.

​John's mission has always been to exhalt the beauty of the black experience through imagery that celebrates the African American spirit.

From holyfieldstudio.com