You never know where life will lead but you must trust. Elgin-Bokari T. Smith, aka Kari the Illustrator, is an artist, social activist, and educator who grew up in Saint Louis Missouri. Discovering a passion for art in elementary school while drawing his favorite cartoon characters on his homework, his 6th grade teacher encouraged Elgin toward the arts, where he moved onto comics and public murals. He then attended Central Visual and Performing Arts High School where he studied visual arts, ceramics, and piano. In 2009, Elgin received a BFA in Graphic Illustration and Sculpture. Elgin began work as an artist assistant for Chicago ceramic artist and Whitney Bi-Annual artist-in-residence Theaster Gates. He's collaborated with Hull House and the Northwestern University School of Law to produce zines such as I Know My Rights, I Want a Lawyer, a kid’s guide to the Juvenile Justice System in Illinois, and taught drawing and graphic design to incarcerated young people. He's worked as a teaching artist for various organizations such as the Gary Comer Youth Center, Changing Worlds, Columbia College, and Kuumba Lynx. Elgin is currently the Program Director for Free Write Arts & Literacy.
Listed skills include Character Animation, Photoshop, Event Planning, Art, and 29 others.
