In 1996, Nelson began his career as a conceptual artist for Steven Spielberg's feature film Amistad, and the animated feature film Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron. Nelson has since designed several commemorative postage stamps for the United States Postal Service including stamps featuring Wilt Chamberlain,[2]Joe Dimaggio,[3] and Richard Wright.[4] He has also authored and/or illustrated over 30 picture books including, Brothers of the Knight[5] by actress Debbie Allen, WE ARE THE SHIP: The Story of Negro League Baseball,[6] which was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated[7] magazine, and Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans.[8] In 2013, Nelson was commissioned to paint his first cover for The New Yorker magazine, a portrait of Nelson Mandela.[9] Nelson has since created several memorable covers for the magazine including, Eustace Negro,[10]Schomburg Center, Harlem, New York,[11] and A Day at the Beach.[12]
Early life and educationedit
Nelson was born in Washington D.C.,[13] and grew up in Atlantic City, New Jersey and San Diego, California, the son of author Emily Gunter and educator Lenwood Nelson.[14] He received his early training in art from his uncle, Michael Morris, who is an artist and art instructor.[15] Both his uncle and his high school art teacher taught him important artistic principles and techniques, including how to paint with oils. After developing an impressive portfolio during high school, Crawford High in San Diego, Kadir Nelson earned a partial scholarship to the prestigious Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York. Nelson earned his BFA from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York in 1996.[16]
Worksedit
In August 1999, Nelson’s paintings depicting Negro league baseball scenes were featured in Sports Illustrated magazine on its opening Leading Off pages.[17] They were some of the first paintings in a series of works that led to Nelson writing and illustrating a book commemorating the history of the Negro Baseball Leagues entitled, We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro Leagues Baseball, published by Jump at the Sun in 2008.[6] Nelson’s critically acclaimed[18][19][20] authorial debut was created over the span of seven years and earned Nelson the Sibert Medal, a Coretta Scott King Author Award and Illustrator Honor. We Are the Ship was released by Brilliance Audio as an audiobook in 2009, narrated by voice actor Dion Graham.
In 2005, Nelson was contacted by Michael Jackson to create a commissioned painting of the King of Pop’s life story. The commission was delayed and shelved for several years until the untimely death of the singer in 2009.[24] Upon which Nelson was tapped to resume the portrait to be used later for the posthumously released album titled Michael.[25][26] On Friday, December 10, 2010, a 29,070-square-foot (2,701 m2) poster depicting the Michael album artwork was erected at the Rectory Farm in Middlesex, England, which broke a Guinness World Record for the largest poster in the world.[27]
In 2013, Nelson was contacted by recording artist Drake to create two covers for his album Nothing Was the Same.[28] The album artwork became a signature work for the recording artist, and the subject of multiple internet memes.[29] The album remained on the Billboard 200 sales chart for more than 400 weeks after its release in 2013.[30]
Recognition and honorsedit
Nelson has received multiple Gold and Silver Medals from the New York Society of Illustrators. In February 2014, Nelson was awarded the Hamilton King Award for best illustration of the year. Nelson is also the recipient of three NAACP Image Awards for his illustrated picture books, and the New York Times Best Illustrated Book for We Are The Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball.
Kadir Nelson's portrait of Henrietta Lacks was recently jointly acquired by The Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery and the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Lacks' portrait was commissioned by HBO.[38]
Michael's Golden Rules by Deloris Jordan, introduction by Michael Jordan. Simon & Schuster, 2007.[51]
We Are the Ship:The Story of Negro League Baseball, written and illustrated by Kadir Nelson, foreword by Hank Aaron, Hyperion/Jump at the Sun, 2008.[52]
Abe's Hones Words, by Doreen Rappaport. Hyperion, 2008. ISBN 978-142310408-7
Change Has Come: An Artist Celebrates Our American Spirit, quotations from Barack Obama, black and white line drawings by Kadir Nelson. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2009. ISBN 978-1-4169-8955-4
Testing the Ice: A True Story About Jackie Robinson, by Sharon Robinson, Scholastic, 2009; ISBN 978-0-545-05251-1
All God's Critters, song lyrics by Bill Staines, Simon & Schuster, 2009
Mama Miti: Wangari Maathai and the Trees of Kenya, by Donna Jo Napoli, Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books, 2010, ISBN 978-1-4169-3505-6
A Nation's Hope: The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis, by Matt de la Peña, Dial Books, 2011, ISBN 978-0-8037-3167-7[53]
Nelson Mandela, written and illustrated by Kadir Nelson, 2013, ISBN 0061783749
Baby Bear, written and illustrated by Kadir Nelson, 2014, ISBN 0062241729
If You Plant a Seed, written and illustrated by Kadir Nelson, 2015, ISBN 0062298895
Taylor, Mildred D. (2016). Roll of thunder, hear my cry. Introduction by Jacqueline Woodson; illustration by Kadir Nelson (40th Anniversary Special ed.). New York: Dial Books for Young Readers.
Blue Sky, White Stars, written by Sarvinder Naberhaus and illustrated by Kadir Nelson, 2017, ISBN 0803737009
^Paul, Pamela (6 February 2013). "Black History Greats 'Nelson Mandela,' by Kadir Nelson, and More". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
^Davis, David (December 4, 2014). "Wilt the Stilt Becomes Wilt the Stamp". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
^New York City. "Baseball - New York City: A Portrait Through Stamp Art". Postalmuseum.si.edu. Archived from the original on 2019-12-10. Retrieved 2018-09-28.
^"Richard Wright Immortalized on Postage". about.usps.com.
^"Children's Book Review: Brothers of the Knight by Debbie Allen, Author, Toby Sherry, Editor, Kadir Nelson, Illustrator Dial Books $16.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-8037-2488-4".
^ ab"Illustrated Book Chronicles Negro League Pioneers". NPR.
^WE ARE THE SHIP by Kadir Nelson - Kirkus Reviews.
^"Children's Book Review: We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson, Author, Kadir Nelson, Illustrator, Hank Aaron, Foreword by . Hyperion/Jump at the Sun $18.99 (96p) ISBN 978-0-7868-0832-8".
^"Best Illustrated Children's Books 2008 - The New York Times > Books > Slide Show > Slide 2 of 11". archive.nytimes.com.
^"Shirley Anita Chisholm - US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives". history.house.gov.
^"Jazmine Sullivan, Kadir Nelson Bring Henrietta Lacks To Life". 11 April 2017.
^Smith, Ryan P. "Famed for "Immortal" Cells, Henrietta Lacks is Immortalized in Portraiture".
^USA TODAY (14 December 2010). "Michael Jackson's album-cover art". Archived from the original on 2021-12-13 – via YouTube.
^"New Michael Jackson Album Out December 14". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 6, 2010. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
^"Michael Jackson Asked Album-Cover Artist To Paint Him Before He Died". MTV. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
^"Michael Jackson Poster breaks records". 2010-12-10. Retrieved 2010-10-08.
^Alexis, Nadeska. "DRAKE'S NOTHING WAS THE SAME COVER EXPLAINED!". MTV.COM. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
^Donayre, Aylah. "Hilarious Photoshopped Versions of Drake's "Nothing Was The Same" Album Cover". Complex.com. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
^Billboard 200. "Nothing Was the Same". Billboard.com. Retrieved 28 September 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^"Graphic Novel Wins Newbery Medal for the First Time". New York Times.
^"CASEY Award". Spitball: The Literary Baseball Magazine. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
^"Kadir Nelson wins 2009 Sibert Medal". American Library Association. January 26, 2009. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
^JAMUNDSEN (5 April 2012). "Coretta Scott King Book Awards - All Recipients, 1970-Present".
^And the Newbery, Caldecott award winners are..., Ashley Strickland, CNN, January 27, 2014
^"'We Are the Ship: Story of Negro League Baseball' at Muskegon Museum of Art".
^Kimmelman, Michael (26 April 2002). "ART REVIEW; A Black World Of Ins and Outs". The New York Times.
^"National Portrait Gallery Presents a Portrait of Henrietta Lacks".
^Nolen, Jerdine. "Big Jabe - Jerdine Nolen - Paperback". HarperCollins US. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
^"SimonSays's On Demand Pages on Vimeo". www.simonsays.com. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
^"Dancing in the Wings by Debbie Allen - PenguinRandomHouse.com". Retrieved 18 August 2017.
^"Just the Two of Us, Scholastic website". Archived from the original on 8 July 2012. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
^"SimonSays's On Demand Pages on Vimeo". www.simonsays.com. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
^"The Village that Vanished at Penguin USA website". Retrieved 18 August 2017.
^"SimonSays's On Demand Pages on Vimeo". www.simonsays.com. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
^"He's Got the Whole World in His Hands by Kadir Nelson - PenguinRandomHouse.com". Retrieved 18 August 2017.
^"The Real Slam Dunk at Scholastic website". Archived from the original on 5 February 2012. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
^Nolen, Jerdine (January 2005). Hewitt Anderson's Great Big Life at Simon & Schuster website. Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books. ISBN 9780689868665. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
^"SimonSays's On Demand Pages on Vimeo". www.simonsays.com. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
^"Disney Books Official Site - Disney Publishing Worldwide". Disney Books - Disney Publishing Worldwide. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
^"SimonSays's On Demand Pages on Vimeo". www.simonsays.com. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
^"WE ARE THE SHIP: The Story of NEGRO LEAGUE BASEBALL. Words and Paintings by Kadir Nelson". www.wearetheship.com. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
^Margolick, David (April 8, 2011). "Children's Books - 'A Nation's Hope' and 'Bird in a Box'". The New York Times.
External linksedit
Official website
Nelson at AALBC.com
Nelson at publisher Simon and Schuster
Nelson at publisher HarperCollins
Nelson at publisher Scholastic
We Are the Ship children's book website
Nelson biography, with further links, at Black Art Depot
Nelson audio interview from December 3, 2007, at Children's Book Radio website