Driven by a commitment to visibility, visual artist barry johnson's work is an investigation into Black identity and its relationship to space. Through his art, he strives to directly confront the historical erasure of Black figures, using the portrait and the figure to capture a narrative of complex human experience. Space often serves as the powerful, yet shifting, backdrop for this exploration.
johnson uses his platform to amplify marginalized voices and reclaim narratives neglected in the art world. His figures—a reflection of his personal experiences and those of the people around him—are not just visible, but are infused with resilience, vulnerability, and complex humanity.
His art is in collections around the world, including the State Department collection in Washington, D.C., MoPOP, Amazon and he has been exhibited across the United States. He has held residencies at Amazon, Facebook, and BASE Experimental Space, in addition to creating multiple public artworks across the Pacific Northwest.
johnson is represented by Winston Wachter.
