Meet William Rembert of Atlanta

Today we’d like to introduce you to William Rembert.

Hi William, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My story is unique because I planned to have three careers in my lifetime.

I went to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago a year after graduating from high school and dropped out after two years. After working for a few years, I decided to join the Army Reserve. I had always wanted to be a soldier as a little kid. After my initial Army Reserve training, I returned home and decided that I was going to join the Army active duty for twenty years, then retire and become a teacher for twenty years to a second retirement. My last goal was to become an artist after both retirements. I retired from the Army in 2004 and actually started teaching before officially retiring, I retired from teaching in 2024. Since retirement, I’ve taken a lot of art workshops and a few art shows. I recently started my PhD program this month.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There was nothing smooth about the road I traveled. My struggles were like many other people’s struggles – racism, marriage and family issues, colorism issues, and sociality peer pressures. I powered through them because I knew my purpose. When people judged me for not being what they thought I should be, I ignore it. My favorite Bible quote is 1 Samuel 16:7, “Man judges from the outward appearance, God judges from the heart.” I know I am flawed and I am always willing to learn different truths, but I never wanted to be guided by popular opinions. My last Army unit, they identified me as, “There’s always a soldier that breaks the mold, Sergeant Rembert likes poetry, black history, and art.” I didn’t get into guns and hunting, even though I was in the infantry and shot weapons all the time.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
This is my artist statement:

I have always been extremely observant, so my artwork represents my observations of life. Some may view it as confrontational, but that doesn’t represent what I’m trying to express. I appreciate everyone (how we evolve and are constructed) and have a great respect for the potential that we all have regardless of lifestyle, religion, ethnicity, or gender. Therefore, my art expresses what I see in us. This is my narrative or my “soldier story” because my artwork always tells a story.

I presently do a lot of portraitures and use oil pastels, oil paints, gouache, acrylic, charcoal, printmaking (linocuts & intaglio), and collaging in my artmaking. I like to mix mediums.

As an avid reader, I continually study history and current events and how the two have a symbiotic relationship. Additionally, I write poetry and wrote my first poem for my father after I was notified that he had passed away on February 23, 2003. I consider my poetry as an extension of my art.

My Inspirations & Influences:

Spiritual = Jesus
Artistic = Emilio Cruz, Alice Neel, Kathe Kollwitz, & Robert Henri
Poetic = Maya Angelou
Intellectual = Malcolm X, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., John Dewey, & Colin Powell

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
To never give up, never quit. God will always have my back. No matter how hard anything gets, I know I am blessed. Always try to do the right thing. Whenever you fall, get back up and use those lessons to build for success.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://wbrembert.info/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wbrembert/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wbrembert
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wbrembert/
• Twitter: https://x.com/rembertwilliam