Columbia, SC native Carl M. Crawford began his artistic journey early. As a very young child, he was influenced by the works of Romare Bearden, Jacob Lawrence, and the signature paintings of Ernie Barnes. Crawford won his first art award at Columbia’s Providence Hospital in an art competition as a fifth grader.  At that moment, the purpose for his life was set.

A self-taught, free-lance artist, Crawford has developed a unique style that he calls “Collage Illusion”.  He creates his pieces by cutting out colors from magazine articles and assembling them on glass to form his desired image, giving his audience the illusion of an oil painting.  Using only donated magazines Collage Illusion is “recycling at its finest.”  Crawford uses this technique to capture the movement and feel of Jazz music and expressive dance forms. “Collage Illusion” has won Crawford several awards and recognition throughout the nation.  He was the featured artist at the 2010 Chicago Jazz Festival, Best in Show (2010) and Most Unique (2011) for the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Honorable Mention for the Piccolo Spoleto Art Fair in Charleston SC, Best in Category at Chicago’s Gold Coast Art Fair, Best in Mixed Media at Glencoe Illinois Art Fair, Best in Category at Virginia Beach’s Board Walk Art Festival, the Juror Award at Shreveport’s Red River Revel, 1st Place Award at the Zora Neale Hurston Festival of the Arts in Eatonville, FL and many more.

Crawford currently travels throughout the nation promoting his work. Drawing his subject matter from the rich heritage of African-American culture, Crawford's primary desire has always been to have his slice-of-life works touch a memory in people. His attention to the smallest detail makes each of his works a collector's item.