[5] He mastered his printmaking skills at the Tamarind Institute in Los Angeles, California, where he worked as a senior printer.
[6] His work is influenced by abstract expressionists Willem de Kooning, Philip Guston, and Jackson Pollock[1] and jazz musicians such as Miles Davis, Archie Shepp, and Cecil Taylor.
[7] While visiting Bahia, Brazil in 1988, Dowell explored interest in traditional African religions.
[1] Dowell's canvas, ceramic, and print works are showcased at over 70 museums worldwide, and he has had more than 50 solo exhibitions.
[7] Dowell's work was featured in the 2015 exhibition We Speak: Black Artists in Philadelphia, 1920s-1970s at the Woodmere Art Museum.