Richard Burnside

1944 – , South Carolina

“This art, it never existed on this earth ’til it came out of me.”

Richard Burnside, a man of visions of ancient times, creates primal, raw works of art. Born in Baltimore, Burnside spent a brief stint in the armed forces, and then worked as a chef in Charlotte, NC (“I was world famous!” he claims). Plagued at night by visions of ancient times, he found he couldn’t rest until he let them out through his painting. “Gotta’ obey God.” His paintings are rife with symbols, some carrying personal meanings for Burnside, and some unexplained products of his visions.

His standard images include Ancient Kings and Queens, Jungle Cats, and a White Wolf. Many of his paintings include what he calls “roman writing”, letters in an ancient language Richard sees in his visions.