Issue Date: October 5, 2008

In this article: The painter shares his perspective

ART

Kadir Nelson: A fresh look at past events

A-list celebs collaborate with him and collect his work. And now the painter is becoming a celebrity himself, in the children's book world.

By Rebecca Louie

As America considers electing an African American to the highest office for the first time ever this November, a new book celebrates a president who challenged race barriers centuries ago. "Abe's Honest Words," out Oct. 15, tells the story of Abraham Lincoln, who began freeing the slaves with the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. The children's book comes alive with splendid portraits by award-winning artist Kadir Nelson.

"I went on a pilgrimage to step into Lincoln's shoes," says Nelson, 34, who traveled to the 16th president's home state of Illinois and to Washington, D.C., to prepare to illustrate the book, written by Doreen Rappaport. "I wanted to get a feel of the path he traveled, to paint this great American journey. I wanted to humanize him but still pay homage to him as an icon."

With 21 titles, including several best sellers, under his belt, Nelson has a passion for painting the past. For his "We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball," which was released last January, Nelson spent seven years researching, writing and painting the canvases that would be reproduced on the page. The oil paintings, which run as large as 8 feet wide, go on tour nationally in 2009. On deck are projects about Coretta Scott King and Wangari Maathai, a Kenyan woman who won the Nobel Peace Prize. "It comes down to the pursuit of truth," Nelson says. "That's why I love history."

Nelson's work has amassed a formidable following. Both Spike Lee and Will Smith have collaborated with Nelson on children's books. Collectors of his paintings, which sell for up to $30,000 each, include Denzel Washington, Queen Latifah, Shaquille O'Neal and Venus Williams.

Although he's associated with celebrities, the soft-spoken Nelson doesn't think of himself as one. "It's not like I can call up Will Smith and be, like, 'Hey, what you doing, man?' " says Nelson, laughing. "They've mostly been shooting-star moments, where I'm exposed to them for a short period of time."

Born in Silver Spring, Md., Nelson moved to San Diego when he was 10 with dreams of playing in the NBA, like his idol, Michael Jordan. But a finger injury ended his hoop dreams. "I'm an artist, and that put me in my place," says Nelson, who later illustrated two books by Jordan's mother and sister about the basketball legend's childhood. An uncle introduced Nelson to art, and after high school, he landed a scholarship to New York's prestigious Pratt Institute, where he sold his own paintings to support himself. He was a voracious student, inspired by a mother who taught him the power of visualization.

"I was paying for my own education, so I really didn't want to waste any time while I was there," says Nelson, now a married father of three. "I was on a mission to become a working artist."

And work he did. Nelson graduated in 1996. Two weeks later, his rookie portfolio grabbed the attention of Steven Spielberg, who hired Nelson to sketch some key scenes for "Amistad," the director's epic film on slavery. Nelson later illustrated the companion book to the movie and also worked on the DreamWorks animated film "Spirit."

Although much of his art centers around black life, Nelson takes inspiration from many sources. "It's really a matter of not pigeonholing yourself by doing just one subject or type of artwork," Nelson says, pointing to his work for "All God's Critters," written by Bill Staines and due out next January. "I am doing a book on singing animals, which isn't expected of me. It's a matter of keeping it fresh."

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The painter shares his new perspective

For his new book, "Abe's Honest Words," Nelson drew his inspiration from Norman Rockwell's portrait of Lincoln reading the Gettysburg Address. "You'll find many dramatic and overwrought portrayals of this moment," he says. "I chose a more subdued, but no less authoritative depiction, which I believe is closer to Lincoln's style of delivery."

Nelson used photos of himself in period baseball uniforms as a reference point for his best seller "We Are the Ship," which depicts Jackie Robinson as a Kansas City Monarch. "Everything's happening at once," he says. "Jackie's sliding safely across home plate, the batter steps out of Jackie's way, the umpire is making the call, and the catcher is waiting on the throw."