Born 1960 in the Bronx, New York.

Ligon studied at the Wesleyan University, Connecticut (BA 1982) and on the Witney Museum Independent Study Programme in 1985.

He lives and works in New York

Ligon is a conceptual artist who uses a wide range of media: – painting, etching, video, photography, neon, sculptural installations and digital technology.  He rose to prominence in the 1990s, receiving critical acclaim for his text-based paintings using quotations from the work of writers such as James Baldwin, Jean Genet, Mary Shelley and  Ralph Ellison.  The texts were hand-stencilled onto canvas and explored issues such as race, identity and sexuality.   In addressing social themes, one of his aims is 'to bring history into the present' and the works often imply criticism of contemporary American society.

He has exhibited extensively in the USA as well as in galleries and art fairs in Europe, including London, Kassell (Documenta XI), Paris, Luxembourg, Venice (Biennale 1997) and Munich.  His work can now be found in many major public collections, such as the Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and Tate Modern, London.

 

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