Norman W. Lewis (23 July 1909 – 27 August 1979) was an award-
winning African-American painter, scholar, and teacher. He is
associated with Abstract Expressionism. Lewis was African-
American, of Caribbean descent. Norman W. Lewis was born in
Harlem, New York. His parents had emigrated from Bermuda. Always
interested in art, he had amassed a large art history library by
the time he was a young man. A lifelong resident of Harlem, he
also travelled extensively during the two years that he worked
on ocean freighters. An important early influence was the
sculptor and teacher Augusta Savage, who provided him with open
studio space at her Harlem Art Center. He also participated in
WPA art projects, alongside Jackson Pollock, among others. Read
an interview with Norman Lewis, free from the Archives of
American Art.