About the Artist

Joe Louis Ruffin focuses on the feeling and movement of jazz in urban life of the African-American community. Within his paintings, Ruffin draws the viewer into an expressive vision of jazz and urban landscapes, reflecting his positive experience in urban settings and the appreciation of life in the jazz halls. Ruffin’s highly activated surfaces retain an energetic quality and at the same time a kind of refined gracefulness. Ruffin began painting in the ashcan and cubist painting styles, and gradually grew into a style of painting all his own, appealing widely to an urban audience. Ruffin came to be known for incorporating social realities and spiritual truths into his paintings. His works are represented in major collections worldwide.