Winfred Sr

Winfred Rembert (1945–2021) was a nationally acclaimed American artist known for his vivid, hand-tooled and dyed leather paintings that chronicle his life in the Jim Crow South. Born in Cuthbert, Georgia, Rembert endured forced labor in the cotton fields, survived a near-lynching, and spent seven years on a chain gang following his involvement in the Civil Rights Movement. While incarcerated, he learned leather tooling—a skill that later became the foundation of his artistic practice.

Settling in New Haven, Connecticut, Rembert transformed his personal history into powerful visual narratives depicting Southern Black life, from cotton fields to juke joints, rendered in bold color and intricate detail. His work has been exhibited in museums and galleries across the United States and is celebrated for its unflinching honesty and humanity. His posthumous memoir, Chasing Me to My Grave, was awarded the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for Biography, cementing his legacy as both an artist and storyteller of profound historical importance.