aLike Black Pepper

Born to a nurturing family in 1933, Sam was encouraged to pursue his artistic talents from a young age. He earned his master’s degree in fine arts in 1961 at the University of Louisville. After moving to Washington DC in 1962, Gilliam became immersed in the works of a group of abstract painters known as the Washington Color School and began exhibiting his boldly-colored, geometrically-composed artwork.

As years progressed, Gilliam favored softer shapes and varying hues over the straight lines and contrasting colors of his earlier work. He began experimenting with canvas presentations in the late 1960s, and used bevel-edged canvases to draw attention to the relationship between the painting and the wall. In his more recent works, he has been exploring pouring techniques, combining them with brushwork to create pristine surfaces.