KEVIN A WILLIAMS (WAK)
Kevin A. Williams better known by the art moniker WAK, his initials backwards, is an American painter and businessman from Chicago’s Southside. He is one of the most celebrated figurative storytellers of this era with his collection of paintings being the most widely circulated urban fine art series in the world.
At the age of 15, Kevin A. Williams started working as an artist, on Chicago’s Historic East 87th Street Black Business District, drawing and painting images for clothing boutiques and hair salons. At 19, he became a cosmetology illustrator for Soft Sheen hair products which eventually led to a commission from Alberto Culver USA, to create "Standing Appointment" which depicts 4 women under hair dryers, for their Motions hair care line. It is regarded the most popular art image in the history of the hair care industry.
While developing his fine art line, Williams worked exclusively with the late Actor /Comedian Bernie Mac as his personal artist for over 15 years, creating over 20 original paintings, including a very important piece commissioned by the Actor/Comedian as a gift for Oprah Winfrey. The piece titled “Anointed Gift” was unveiled on Oprah’s televised 50th birthday celebration, and was regarded by her as “the most amazing gift”. This amazing gift currently hangs in the lobby of Winfrey’s Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa.
Kevin currently resides in Atlanta, GA.
KEVIN A WILLIAMS (WAK)
Baldwin
Kevin A Williams
BALDWIN, 2021
48 x 32 in | 121.92 x 81.28 cm
Archival Pigment Print on Canvas
$2,500
RECLAIMED Silk Scarf by Kevin A Williams
Crafted from luxurious silk, this limited-edition accessory embodies the elegance and strength captured in Williams’ work. More than just a fashion statement, this scarf serves as a wearable tribute to African heritage and history, blending art with elegance.
100% Silk Twill (image printed on both sides)
36" x 36"
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Consider the gift of wearable art for a loved one.
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$250.00
RECLAIMED
IIn Reclaimed, Kevin A. Williams paints a young Black girl whose very presence defies centuries of erasure. Her hair, unapologetically full and untamed, signals a quiet rebellion against the tyranny of assimilation—a refusal to conform to a standard never meant for her. She holds an artifact from the Benin Empire, a piece of her history long stolen but never forgotten. Her gaze, steady and confident, and her flowing white dress speak of royalty that transcends time and circumstance. To her, this is no act of reclamation, but a reminder of what has always been hers. The energy in this painting is rooted in self-awareness, a knowing that to reclaim is not to recover, but to affirm what was never lost—identity, pride, and power.