William Hawkins was born in 1895 in rural Kentucky, USA. As a young man he moved to Columbus, Ohio, and like many African Americans who lacked formal education, he worked in a variety of odd jobs (among them truck driver, and even a brothel manager). He married twice, and fathered, so he claimed, 30 children. Hawkins began painting in the 1930s, but only in the 1970s did he develop the style that came to be identif ied with him, which earned him the status of one of the greatest self-taught American artists.

- The discovery -
Lee Garrett, an artist and Hawkins's neighbor, discovered his works around 1979. In 1982 he convinced Hawkins to exhibit in the Ohio State Fair, where his painting won a prize. That same year his works were exhibited at Columbus Gallery, and a year later he had a solo exhibition in New York. Henceforth he won recognition throughout the United States.

- The work -
Hawkins was inspired by found materials he gathered on the streets of his neighborhood-newspapers, advertisements, photographs, and assorted objects-which he kept in a suitcase under his bed. These later served as basis for his paintings, which are characterized by monumental dimensions and vivid coloration. Most of them have an emphasized inner frame in which the artist's signature appears in large bold capitals: "William Hawkins, born July 27, 1895." Alongside depictions of Native Americans engaging in hunting, natural vistas, and cityscapes (based on photographs he took), Hawkins painted historical and religious scenes, such as the moon landing and "The Last Supper."