Morris Sokolsky (1932-1977) was a Baltimore-born painter who created distinctive surrealist and abstract expressionist work characterized by grotesque, haunting figures rendered in oils with carefully chosen color schemes. Living in modest circumstances above a frame shop and bookstore on North Charles Street, Sokolsky worked in relative obscurity during his lifetime, pursuing his art in limited free time. His paintings are marked by psychological depth and emotional intensity, moving fluidly between representation and abstraction. Though he died tragically in 1977 at age 44, his artistic legacy grew posthumously, culminating in a retrospective exhibition at Catonsville Community College's Fine Arts Gallery in 1978 and recognition through inclusion in the Baltimore Museum of Art's permanent collection, where his striking 1974-1975 self-portrait now resides. Today, collectors and art historians continue to recognize the power and distinctive vision in Sokolsky's work, appreciating how this dedicated artist created meaningful art despite significant personal and circumstantial challenges.