Kadir Nelson, born in Washington D.C., grew up in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and San Diego, California. He currently resides in San Diego. A graduate of Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, he has created images for Polygram, Nike, Sports Illustrated, The New York Times, The New Yorker and Time Magazine. Most notably, Nelson was the Conceptual Artist for Steven Spielberg’s feature film, “Amistad”, and the companion book, “Give Us Free”.

Currently, Kadir Nelson has worked on a series of books with Debbie Allen,
Will Smith and Deloris and Rosalyn Jordan. At this time two children’s
books are in print–Debbie Allen’s “Brother’s of the Knight” and “Jerdine
Nolen’s Big Jabe.” Nelson is also planning a book about the Negro Baseball Leagues using his illustrations and their own words to describe
these giants of men.


Nelson describes his work as “figurative” and “very spiritual.” He gives credit to Ernie Barnes, N.C. Wyeth, Norman Rockwell and

Thomas Blackshear as having influenced his work immensely. Receiving national recognition for his work, Nelson has been awarded gold and silver medals from the Society of Illustrators in New York.