Works by the Gullah artist from the collection of Bob Roth shine at Outsider Art Fair.
A solo presentation dedicated to the late self-taught artist Sam Doyle is a standout at this year’s Outsider Art Fair in New York, with an immersive display drawing new attention to the late South Carolina painter’s work.
Organized by London’s Gallery of Everything, the booth recreates the setting of Doyle’s front yard—where he once exhibited his own paintings—while spotlighting his vivid portraits of both local figures and Black cultural icons.
Born into the Gullah community of St. Helena Island, Doyle took up a paint brush on his own, often using house paint on salvaged wood and metal. His subjects ranged from celebrities such as Jackie Robinson and Joe Louis—seen in Brown Bomber (1975/82)—to local figures like Dr. Bus Ha.Lo., a “root doctor” depicted holding a conch shell to his ear as if speaking to spirits.