Joe Turner is an artist and designer, originally from Birmingham, Alabama. He began drawing in first grade but never imagined art could become his career. Growing up in a low-income African-American household with few visible role models in the arts made that path feel unlikely. Everything changed the summer after graduation when Cornerstone School of Alabama commissioned a series of his paintings and faculty began requesting custom works for their homes. Encouraged by the response, Turner launched an Instagram account that quickly expanded his audience. Winning “Best in Show” at a local exhibition solidified his confidence, and he pursued a BFA in Interior Design at Samford University, graduating in 2023. While building his business during school, Turner committed to creating expressive, authentic abstract work and eventually moved to Dallas to pursue art full-time. His paintings have since appeared in galleries and stores nationwide, and he has been featured in Architectural Digest’s “Iconic Home” project and in LUXE Interiors + Design (2022 Southeast and 2025 Dallas editions). In 2023 he launched a collection with Crate & Barrel and continues an ongoing collaboration with the brand, embracing a career he once believed was out of reach.