Preston Sampson is a storyteller and colourist. Heavily influenced by Social Realism and Ashcan School artists such as Romare Bearden, Elizabeth Catlett, and Jacob Lawrence, Sampson follows examples of his predecessors who told stories of history and the common man’s plight through painting. 

Sampson emerged in the mid-1990s with works that elegantly merge the figurative with vibrant colour palettes, based on themes that depict the dignity and pride of the Black community. His work can be seen in the collections of institutions such as Yale University, the Library of Congress, University of Colorado, and the Museo della Carta e della Filigrana in Fabriano, Italy, among others.