Angela Davis Johnson


Angela Davis Johnson is an American interdisciplinary artist whose work includes themes related to the African diaspora and cultural memory in the American South. She has lived and worked in several cities, including Philadelphia, Atlanta, New Orleans, and Little Rock.

Early life

Angela Davis Johnson was born in 1981 in Orlando, Florida. Later, she moved with her family to Virginia, where she graduated from the Governor's School for the Arts in Norfolk. Her early interest in art was developed under her mother, who provided her and her siblings with art supplies and encouraged them to engage in creative activities such as singing, reading, and whittling.

Career

Davis Johnson cites her ancestry, which includes practitioners of midwifery, healing, and nursing, as an influence on her artistic themes. Her work primarily addresses social and historical challenges faced by African Americans. She has been nominated for several awards.
In 2018, The New York Times described her painting An Open Mouth Creek as depicting “a Black girl with sad eyes and blue hair whose mouth is shut, though she appears to want to speak.” She stated that the work addresses the historical silencing of Black women."The New York Times noted that Davis Johnson and other Black women artists who address themes of race and politics have been told by curators and others that their work would be more “commercially viable” if they focused on less challenging subjects. Reports on her exhibitions have also noted the scope and subjects of her imagery. She frequently incorporates scraps of fabric into her oil paintings as an homage to her mother, a seamstress, and to introduce humble materials into fine‑art contexts.

Awards, fellowships and residencies

Awards and fellowships

Residencies