John Lister was born in Shreveport, LA, attended Morgan State and earned a BFA in Fine Art from Bowie State University. His work is influenced by cubism, abstract expressionism and neo expressionism and due to certain similarities, closely identifies with Jean-Michel Basquiat as a person and as an artist. While his process appears to be totally organic, he preplans his paintings while allowing for elements of spontaneity. His brush strokes often mimic the jazz music he plays while working. Lister’s work provides social commentary on the struggles and lifestyles of Black Americans while utilizing the visual language of stylized figures, icons, text, symbols and bold colors, along with imagery from popular culture.