Contents
Loïs Mailou Jones
Connecting African, Caribbean and American visual traditions in a long career as a painter and teacher.
The Ascent of Ethiopia · Les Fétiches
- Born
- 3 November 1905
- Birthplace
- Boston, United States
- Died
- 9 June 1998
More people
Loïs Mailou Jones
Loïs Mailou Jones was an American artist whose work moved from textile design and Impressionist painting towards bold, layered compositions. Her travels and decades of teaching at Howard University connected generations of artists.
Early life
A supportive childhood
Grew up in Boston with parents who encouraged her interest in art.
Design training
Studied at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and began her professional life in textile design.
Career
- 1928
Teaching in North Carolina
Established an art department at Palmer Memorial Institute.
- 1930
Howard University
Joined the faculty, teaching design and watercolour until 1977.
- 1937–1938
Study in Paris
Worked at the Académie Julian and painted outdoors in France.
- 1950s–1970s
A wider visual vocabulary
Travel and research in Haiti and Africa increasingly shaped her painting.
Selected work
The Ascent of Ethiopia
A composition linking African heritage with modern Black achievement.
Les Fétiches
African masks form a layered, animated arrangement.
The Janitor Who Paints
A portrait bringing dignity and attention to an artist who also worked as a caretaker.
Beyond the studio
A lasting partnership
Married Haitian artist Louis Vergniaud Pierre-Noël in 1953 and maintained close ties with Haiti.
Mentoring artists
Her Howard students included Elizabeth Catlett and David Driskell.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Museum or specialist research ↗Photo: Unknown author Unknown author or not provided. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
