Lionel’s passion for the visual arts began in Haiti, after he and his father watched the Superman movie. Lionel, truly amazed, began drawing this world-renowned icon. A few years later he was inspired by the film Jurassic Park, watching prehistoric creatures brought to life through computer graphics. He grabbed some chalk and began drawing T-rexs all over the walls of his home. Instead of getting in trouble, his parents supported his passion. In April of 1997, Lionel came to the U.S. and began collecting comic books, which he heavily referenced in his sketches. His skills grew substantially, motivating him to create his own characters. In middle school he joined an after school program called Citizen Schools and received nothing but support for his interest in art. He applied to and was accepted into the Boston Arts Academy, Boston’s public high school for the performing and visual arts. At BAA he spent 4 years refining his skills as a visual artist. While at BAA he was nominated to be a Posy Scholar and had the opportunity to go to the Oxbow School in Napa, California for a semester. He was also a member the Institute of Contemporary Art's Fast Forward program for three years where he created several short films. He served on the board of the Dorchester Community Center for the Visual Arts (DotArt). He has been commissioned to do many pieces of art, most notably a commission for the West Roxbury District Court House (2008) and one for the Teen Art Wall at the Institute of Contemporary Art (2010).