Luster Willis

Willis's father died in 1963 and Willis inherited his farm, where he lived the remainder of his life. After a sudden stroke in 1986, Willis was unable to create more art work. He died just a few years after in 1991.

Willis showed an interest in and talent for art at a very young age. However, his teachers discouraged his artistic interests, disregarding them as impractical and frivolous. Nonetheless, Willis continued to draw and practice his creativity. During the Great Depression, he carved walking sticks for his neighbors in Mississippi, vowing to "put a cane in the hand of every elderly person in his small town." His canes, featuring solo human figures at the head of the cane, were so successful that they were his main wource of income during the Depression, charging between 75 cents and five dollars each. When Willis inherited his father's farm in 1963, he had more space and freedom to create in his own way, and thus began to seriously paint and draw for the first time. Shortly thereafter, his work was discovered by William Ferris, the director of the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi.

In 1943, he was recruited to join the American war effort during World War II. He was stationed in Europe for three years, and it was in Germany, France, and Austria where he first encountered fine art. He was discharged from the military in 1947. He returned to Egypt Hill, Mississippi and attended the Magnolia Trade School in Jackson, Mississippi for his barber's certification.

Luster Willis (1913–1991) was an African-American artist from Terry, Mississippi best known for his painting and illustrations. He employed diverse painting styles and collage to draw attention to the shortcomings of mass media.

Luster Willis was born on December 25, 1913. He attended school until the eighth grade, and began full-time agricultural labor thereafter. In the spring and summer he assisted his father in maintenance of their 60-acre farm. In the winter he felled trees and made cross ties for the Illinois Central Railroad. He married Louvennia Bozman on November 10, 1934, and though they had no children of their own, they raised two younger cousins together.