ALPHONSO DUNN
Alphonso Dunn is an artist, educator, and author, best known for his work in pen and ink and his instruction on drawing. He authored two books on pen and ink drawing, Pen and Ink Drawing: A Simple Guide and Pen and Ink Drawing Workbook.
Alphonso Dunn was born in Jamaica, where he showed his love for drawing at a very young age. At 17 he migrated to the United States and inspired by ambitions for a career in medicine he studied chemistry at William Paterson University. However, after college, his enduring passion for drawing led him to pursue his MFA at the New York Academy of Art. Upon completing graduate study, he taught high school chemistry and college art courses for several years.
In addition to his pen-and-ink work and art instruction books, Dunn is known for producing hundreds of free instructional videos on YouTube, which has over 700,000 followers. His videos provide introductory art instruction on a variety of topics, including drawing, sketching, pen and ink, watercolor, linear perspective, urban sketching, anatomy and more.
He currently lives and works in New Jersey.
My CV
EDUCATION
2004 MFA, New York Academy of Art, New York, NY
2006 BS, Chemistry, William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2014 NJ Emerging Artist, Monmouth Museum, Monmouth, NJ
2013 Portraits: Drawings, Broadway Galleries, Passaic County
Community College, Paterson NJ
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2016 Deck the Wall, New York Academy of Art, New York, NY
2014 Drawn Truly, Corridor Gallery, Brooklyn NY
2014 Faculty Exhibition, Passaic County Community College, Broadway
Gallery, Newark NJ
2014 Metro 30, City Without Walls, Newark NJ
2013 NJSCA Visual Arts Fellowship Exhibition, Long Beach Island
Foundation of the Arts Gallery, Loveladies NJ
2013 Portraits: Drawings, Broadway Galleries, Passaic County
Community College, Paterson NJ
2013 Alumni Art Exhibition, Power Arts Gallery, William
Paterson University, Wayne NJ
2013 Drawing Out Of Bounds, Beard & Weil Galleries, Wheaton
College, Norton MA
2012 Deck the Wall, New York Academy of Art, New York, NY
2012 Disconnected, Gallery at 14 Maple, Morristown, NJ
2011 Summer Exhibition, Flowers Gallery, New York, NY
2011 Inheritance, One Gallery, Newark, NJ
2011 I’ve Got a Secret, Forbes Magazine Galleries, New York, NY
2010 Take Home A Nude (Exhibition and Auction), Sotheby’s, New
York, NY
2010 Summer Exhibition, New York Academy of Art, New York, NY
2009 Take Home A Nude (Exhibition and Auction), Sotheby’s, New
York, NY
2009 Summer Exhibition Online Annex, New York Academy of Art,
New York, NY
2009 Paterson ArtWalk, Paterson Library, Paterson, NJ
2009 New Jersey Arts Annual: Local Life, Morris Museum,
Morristown, NJ
2009 Cohesion: Shapes Take Form, Broadway Gallery, Passaic
Community College, NJ
2008 The Gift of Art: 100 Small Works, Full House Art Gallery,
Hoboken, NJ
2008 Hidden Worlds Behind Eyes, Broadway Gallery, Passaic
Community College, NJ
2006 MFA Thesis Exhibition, New York Academy of Art
2006 Group Exhibition, Jane’s Gallery, St. Barthelemy
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
2006 – 2012 Passaic County Community College, Paterson, NJ, Faculty — Drawing, Art History, Art Appreciation
2012 – 2018 Bergen Community College, Paramus, NJ, Faculty – Drawing, Intro to Art & Visual Culture
2006 – 2010 Paterson Public Schools, Paterson, NJ, Teacher – Chemistry
PUBLICATIONS/PRESS/AWARDS/INTERVIEWS
2022 Artists Magazine, “The Power of the Pen,” article by Allison Malafronte
2020 The Blue Review, “9 Ink Artists Redefining the Medium,” article by Lauren Amalia Redding
2018 Author of Pen and Ink Drawing Workbook ISBN-13: 978-0997046533
2015 Author of Pen and Ink Drawing: A Simple Guide ISBN-13: 978-0997046502
2015 Artwork Featured in 500 Tangled Artworks: A Showcase of Inspired Illustrated Designs ISBN-13: 978-1592539932
2014 Artwork Featured in Art Journey: Portraits & Figures: The Best of Contemporary Drawing in Graphite, Pastel and Colored Pencil ISBN-13: 978-14403369972009
2013 Hackensack Chronicle , “The Road Less Taken: From Chemist to Artist,” article by Jennifer Vazquez
2013 New Jersey Council on the Arts, Artist Fellowship Grant
2008 Passaic County Art News, “Homegrown Talent at PCCC,” article.
2006 Passaic County Art News, “Recent Portraits,” article
