Alvin Clayton, like his artistry, is an eclectic mix of visual artist, professional fashion model, athlete and restaurateur. But he was always driven to paint from an early age. Like many households, Alvin certainly couldn’t express the desire to become a visual artist as that was not considered a “real” career. Consequently, Alvin attended college on academic and athletic scholarships, and modeled professionally. When he landed a photoshoot in Paris he discovered French visual artist Henri Matisse. Alvin was awe-struck, as the use of colors reminded him of his Trinidadian home. He knew then that suppressing the desire to paint was no longer an option, and subsequently taught himself to paint. He maintained his newly established painting career throughout his 25 years of modeling where he appeared in GQ, Vogue, Vanity Fair, Ebony, Esquire and Glamour magazines. He was also commissioned to create work for films including, most notably, Why Do Fools Fall In Love, The Gail Devers Story, The Best Man Holiday and The Best Man: The Final Chapters. His work has also been showcased on CNN and at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. In 1992, Clayton held his first solo show at the Lee Arthur Gallery in Soho. He is collected by Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, Don Cheadle, Blair Underwood, Robert De Niro, CCH Pounder, Hill Harper, Janice Huff, and Kenneth Chenault, to name a few.