Rebel Abel and Yankee Cain, 2022 by James Bester

Rebel Abel and Yankee Cain, 2022
Acrylic and oil pastel on canvas
81 x 72

About the Artist:
James Bester is an interdisciplinary artist whose work focuses on pulling back the veil of institutionalized oppression in America by preserving scenes from our fraught histories. Bester grew up in Madison, Wisconsin, where he felt racial tension was being ignored. As a former Division 2 football player, Bester continued to experience racism and prejudice in the community, which led him to pivot into fine art where he found space to freely express his perspective. Also, being dyslexic, Bester found art to be a more  effective medium in which he could communicate the issues he faced living in Madison. James earned a BFA from the University of Northern Michigan and currently lives and works in Beaverton, Oregon.