Rashid Johnson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rashid Johnson
Johnson in 2008
Born	1977 Illinois, US
Education	Columbia College Chicago School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Occupation	Artist
Years active	1996-present
Spouse(s)	Sheree Hovsepian
Children	1
Relatives	Chaka Patterson, brother & Maya Odim, sister

Rashid Johnson (born 1977) is an American artist. He creates unique conceptual art. His work often explores ideas about Black history.

Johnson first became well-known in 2001. He was only 24 years old then. His art was shown in an important exhibition called Freestyle. This show was at the Studio Museum in Harlem. He studied art at Columbia College Chicago and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. His artwork has been displayed all over the world.

Johnson is famous for his art in many different forms. These include photography and painting. He also makes audio art, videos, and sculptures. He is known for his unusual art and for mixing science with Black history.

Early Life and Art Journey

Johnson was born in Illinois in 1977. His mother, Dr. Cheryl Johnson-Odim, was a scholar. His father, Jimmy Johnson, was an artist and a Vietnam War veteran. His parents divorced when he was two years old. His mother later married a man from Nigeria. Johnson has said his family focused on afrocentrism as he grew up. They also celebrated Kwanzaa.

Johnson grew up in Chicago, Illinois, and Evanston, Illinois. He studied photography in college. He earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2000. This was from Columbia College Chicago. He later earned his Master of Fine Arts degree in 2005. This was from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Johnson grew up influenced by hip hop and Black Entertainment Television. His art explores the "Black experience." Because many people today understand Black culture, his art helps them connect with race and identity.

His art has been shown in many major museums. These include the Art Institute of Chicago and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York.

Rashid Johnson's Art Career

Starting Out as an Artist

I talk white, a piece by Rashid Johnson from 2003.

When Johnson was a junior in college, he had his first art show. By 2000, he was known for his special photo-printing process. He was also known for the political ideas in his art. The Freestyle exhibition in 2001 helped launch his career. The show's curator, Thelma Golden, used the term "post-black art" for the exhibit. This term refers to art where race is important, but its role is explored in new ways.

One of Johnson's most talked-about shows was Chickenbones and Watermelon Seeds: The African American Experience as Abstract Art. In this show, he used items like watermelon seeds and chicken bones. He placed them on photographic paper. He then used a special process to create images.

In 2002, he had an exhibit called Manumission Papers. This name refers to the documents that freed slaves needed to prove their freedom. The art in this show was about culture and identity. It showed abstract shapes of body parts. These shapes were arranged in cubes and other forms. This made people think about racial identity.

Also in 2002, Johnson showed his photographic work using chicken bones. This was at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago. He also displayed photos of homeless men in other exhibits. One famous photo was George (1999).

In 2004, Johnson showed The Evolution of the Negro Political Costume. He displayed copies of outfits worn by Black politicians. These included a dashiki worn by Jesse Jackson and a business suit worn by Barack Obama. This exhibit made people think about political clothing.

Johnson also explored the idea of "escapism" in his art. This was in a show called The Production of Escapism. He used photos, videos, and installations to show how art can help people escape reality.

Becoming a Prominent Artist

The Dead Lecturer Exhibition

Top: The New Negro Escapist Social and Athletic Club (Emmett), unknown; Bottom: The New Negro Escapist Social and Athletic Club (Thurgood), 2008

After getting his master's degree, Johnson moved to New York City. He taught at the Pratt Institute. He is known as a photographer and sculptor. Some people even call him an "artist-magician."

His 2008 exhibition The Dead Lecturer featured mixed-media art. It explored race in new ways. For example, The New Negro Escapist Social and Athletic Club (Emmett) (right) was part of this show. The exhibit showed a fictional secret society of Black thinkers. It made people think about different ideas.

In 2011, Johnson was a finalist for the Hugo Boss Prize. In 2012, the famous gallery Hauser & Wirth held his first solo exhibition.

In April 2012, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, held Johnson's first big solo museum show. It was called Message to Our Folks. This show looked at his art from the past ten years. A new artwork made for the museum was also shown. The exhibition then traveled to other museums.

In 2021, the Metropolitan Opera in New York City showed The Broken Nine. This was a large mosaic artwork made by Johnson. In the same year, his art was added to the collections of the Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He also joined the boards of several art organizations.

In 2022, Johnson's painting Surrender Painting "Sunshine" sold for $3 million. This was a record price for his work at an auction.

Johnson has also created art about mental health. These series of works include Anxious Men and Broken Men.

Film Work

Johnson also directs films. He made his first movie, Native Son, in 2019. This film was based on a famous 1940 novel by Richard Wright. The movie premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. HBO Films bought the movie.

Critics had different opinions about the film. Some praised the actors' performances and the movie's visuals. Others felt it struggled with the original story. Johnson won an award for his directing at the 51st NAACP Image Awards.

Art Techniques and Materials

Johnson uses ideas from "alchemy, divination, astronomy, and other sciences." He combines these with Black history in his art. He uses different materials that have their own meanings. These meanings become even stronger when connected to Black history.

Johnson is known for his unique art processes. He uses a 19th-century photography method. This method uses a special brown pigment called Van Dyke brown. He exposes the paper to sunlight. He also uses broad brush strokes to make his prints look like paintings. He uses a large camera, which helps him connect with the people he photographs.

He often uses shea butter and tiles in his sculptures and mosaics. Shea butter is important to him as a "signifier of African identity." Tiles have a personal meaning for him. When he was a student, a bathhouse with white tiles was a peaceful place for him. He saw the tiles as a canvas for his ideas.

Personal Life

Rashid Johnson is married to artist Sheree Hovsepian. They live in New York City and have a son.

Awards and Recognition

• 2012: David C. Driskell Prize

Exhibitions

Johnson has had many solo art shows. These have been in museums and galleries around the world. Some of his notable solo shows include:

• The Rise and Fall of the Proper Negro (2003), Monique Meloche Gallery, Chicago
• The Production of Escapism (2005), Indianapolis Contemporary
• Smoke and Mirrors (2009), SculptureCenter, New York
• Rashid Johnson: Message to Our Folks (2012-2013), starting at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago
• The gathering (2013), Hauser & Wirth, Zurich
• Anxious Men (2015), Drawing Center, New York
• Provocations: Rashid Johnson (2018), Institute for Contemporary Art, Richmond, Virginia
• The Crisis (2021), Storm King Art Center, New Windsor, New York

He has also been part of many group shows. These include:

• Freestyle (2001), Studio Museum in Harlem, New York
• IBCA 2005, Prague
• ILLUMInations (2011), 54th Venice Biennale
• Shanghai Biennale (2012)
• Prospect. 4: The Lotus in Spite of the Swamp (2017), Prospect New Orleans
• Liverpool Biennial (2021)

Notable Works in Public Collections