Herman "Kofi" Bailey (also known as H. Kofi Bailey and Kofi X) was an African-American artist. He was best known for his conté and charcoal drawings reflecting of the African-American experience. Bailey was influenced by artists such as Goya, Rico Lebrun, Jacob Lawrence and Charles White. He described himself in 1967 as a "representational" artist rather than "abstract" because his work is committed to the masses who, he feels, "want to see art that deals with man, art which tries to express the varying moods of man; and man is my principal concern."

Born in Chicago, Illinois, Bailey grew up in Los Angeles, California. He received his education from Alabama State College and then attended Howard...