Charles Joyner

At first glance, Joyner’s works attract the viewer because of their intricate and complex designs. But after careful examination of his compositions, one discovers the artist’s unique methods of communicating through a variety of media all of which have become very comfortable for him. Collage, hand painting, photography and screen-printing are various techniques he uses to create art. Mixed media compositions of color, patterns, and images are the vehicle by which Joyner creates an African aesthetic in his work. Design elements abstracted from African symbols, sculpture, architecture, ceramics and textiles are the sources from which his ideas evolve.

Charles Joyner is a retired Professor of Design at North Carolina State University’s College of Design. He is also the former director of the Ghana Study Abroad Program in the College of Art at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. He has been creating, exhibiting, and teaching art for more than thirty years. His work has won awards in national exhibitions and exhibited in museums and galleries throughout the southeast. Artwork in public and private collections include the Huntsville Museum of Art, Huntsville, Alabama, SAS Institute, Cary, North Carolina, Atlanta Life Insurance Company, Atlanta, Georgia, the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, and the Ministry of Education, Accra, Ghana. Charles Joyner earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Art and Design from North Carolina A & T State University, Greensboro, North Carolina. He received a Master of Fine Arts Degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina. Joyner has received two North Carolina Art Council grants to create public artwork in state buildings. He also has an extensive background in University administration, serving as both Department Head and Assistant Dean during his tenure in the College of Design at NC State.