Lawson Sworh was born and raised in Liberia.  He attended St. Philip High School in Gardnersville, Liberia and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Africa Literature College in Kitwe, Zambia.

He is the author of A Poetic Vision in Bits and Pieces, a collection of his paintings and verse.  His work has been featured in displays through Amnesty International and the United Nations.  His paintings hang in the capitol in Monrovia, Liberia and in the Liberian Embassy in Washington, D.C. He was also president of the Union of Liberian Artists (ULA), 2010-2012, and is head of “Kreative Kolors,” an art organization aimed at training up-and-coming artists.

Although the residual effect of Liberia’s civil war continues to plague the nation, Mr. Sworh has been active in providing art instruction to ex-combatants and drug addicts at the Don Bosco Homes sponsored by UNICEF and is presently helping the former warlord Milton Joshua Blahyi (often referred to as General Butt Naked during Liberia’s civil war) with his ministry called Journey Against Violence.  These efforts are helping to rehabilitate young Liberians by providing creative outlets for their skills and abilities.  As an artist Mr. Lawson strongly believes that when the mind is trained to truly “see” then one’s life can be changed for good; improving not only the individual but those around him as well.  

Lawson’s paintings are basically representative of Liberia’s cultural heritage and African life as a whole.  His paintings in watercolor and acrylic are inspiring in terms of the way he displays his colors.  His use of vibrant color and detail capture the very essence of the moment and seem to bring each scene to life for all who view them.

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