MoreThanAnArtist

Willie James Jeter was born on May 7, 1982 in a small town in rural South Carolina. At the young age of 7, Willie found himself in foster care where he bounced around from foster home to foster home with his four sisters. While you’d think that all this adversity would leave Willie feeling as though he had no real roots… it instead inspired him to be the kind of person who created their own.

 

Despite the negativity that threatened to label him a statistic and his struggles with Epilepsy, Willie knew he was a God-original and that alone defined him. That alone gave him roots and the courage to branch out on his own, moving to Georgia to study at The Art Institute of Atlanta entirely on his own, aside from the love of four amazing sisters who stood by him through thick and thin.

 

Creating vibrant pop culture prints to bold portraits of urban society, Willie was completely in love with the God-given talent that had been bestowed upon him. Well respected in the art community and by his peers, his portraits touched the lives of those near to him and people he’d only known for seconds. But Willie was more than an artist, he saw his talent as an mission to inspire other young people not only foster kids but those in all walks of life who faced their own unique challenges to dream higher and never, ever give up on yourself… even when the problems you have and those others created for you threaten to stand in the way.

 

Like most shooting stars, Willie started out in a small patch of sky and lit up the world as we know it even if but for only a moment, giving pause to the long burning stars that just had to stop and stare. Willie’s life served as a reminder to young people everywhere that no matter what picture life paints for you… you are in charge of coloring outside the lines and making your life extraordinary, a work of art. Even after his passing, Willie’s artwork and triumphant spirit continue to inspire a brighter, more colorful tomorrow.