As part of our ongoing 40th anniversary celebrations, we are featuring a different CE artist and logo every month of 2023! Read more about our 40th anniversary and our featured artists ▸

Vincent Jackson poses for a portrait at the CE studio with one of his works.

In the words of the acclaimed Vincent Jackson, “art is something. See, when you get a piece of art in your hands, it brings beauty. I want to introduce new people to what I have done. If you already know about me, you know–and if you don’t know, you will.”

For the very few who may not know, San Francisco native Vincent Jackson is one of the most prolific and longest practicing artists at Creativity Explored. Perhaps no single artist at CE speaks more colorfully (or often) on their work and process.

“My faces are my way of telling a story rather than writing,” says Vincent Jackson.

The artist is known for his large-scale figurative portraits, rendered with thick, defining lines. Jackson segments the human form into geometric shapes, each filled with a heavy impasto of layered colors and arranged with a masterful sense of harmony. The resulting mask-like works can be viewed as a contemporary renewal of traditional African and Oceanic folk art imagery, entrancing art collectors around the world.

When he joined Creativity Explored at only 22, he was already exploring the iconography that is now famously his own. Though most well-known for oil pastel, he uses a variety of media from oil and acrylic paints to India ink, collage, papier maché and wood. Notably, he has long been interested in fashion design, and has quilted and sewn his own clothes to be exhibited in fashion shows.

Jackson’s time at CE is marked by consistent art-making, with the occasional break to riff with his friends, like Kevin Roach, Joseph “JD” Green, and Joseph Omolayole, whom he sometimes calls his godbrother. In the studio, his peers appreciate his generosity: Jackson often gives them gifts, such as his art or cupcakes. Jackson is one of CE’s biggest advocates, and has been a spokesperson for the program on video, radio stations, and live events.

“Vincent has brought tremendous energy to the studio, creating art five days a week for nearly 40 years running, more than almost anyone — it’s just part of his spirit.”

— Paul Moshammer, Studio Director and long-time teacher and friend

Jackson’s favorite places in the Bay Area include the Dollar Tree in Colma (his favorite store), Thorough Bread and Pastry on Church Street, Katz’s Bagels on 16th Street, his church, his neighborhood café, Saks 5th Avenue and Westfield Mall (for shopping on the weekends.)

Jackson’s roots in the city go deep, and he embodies the spirit of San Francisco: a Bayview native and frequent Muni rider, Jackson used to routinely attend the Providence Baptist Church where he went as a child, participates in events at the Bayview Opera House, and shares his art with kids from the San Francisco Unified School District. In fact, at Sunnyside Elementary School, they have dedicated part of their curriculum to Vincent’s approach to art-making. His work serves as a reminder of the beauty, elegance, and creativity of the African American community and its presence in San Francisco.

“I’m very structured about my art. A person tells me, ‘don’t draw it like that,’ and I say, ‘I’m the artist, I draw it the way I wanna draw it.’ If I wanna get silly with it, I can get silly with it!”

— Vincent Jackson, CE artist

Unflagging in his desire and ability to command attention, Jackson has shown his work in countless exhibitions over his long tenure at CE, and has even exhibited internationally. His singular art is collected by patrons in the Bay Area, the U.S. and abroad, and has even “gone retail” through licensing on bags, rugs, and chocolates. Jackson’s work was chosen to adorn the third series of artisanal chocolates from Recchiuti Confections; CB2 selected his work for a number of limited-edition products including a tote, rug, pillow and ceramic vase; and VIDA produced a curated collection of colorful masks, scarves, totes, clutches and glass trays using Jackson's abstract oil pastel drawings. Jackson is also a member of Blackiful, a cohort of Black CE artists exploring the Black experience.