James Weeks is a painter, educator, and renowned member of the Bay Area Figuration Movement of Northern California. Rather than the non-representational styles of his contemporaries such as Richard Diebenkorn, Weeks’s large-scale paintings serve as figurative social commentaries. The artist was known to be drawn to the darker side of life, so he painted American culture in ways that reveal what hides in the shadows. He also loved to create characters that deliver a strong message to the viewers, often speaking to the many issues American society faces. Some of his famous character portrayals are of boxing arenas, jazz clubs, as well as political and social personas.