Rashid Johnson

American · b. 1977

Rashid Johnson is one of the most significant American artists of his generation. Working across painting, sculpture, photography, video, and installation, he has developed a materially rich and conceptually ambitious practice that engages Black American identity, history, and intellectual life with seriousness, humor, and formal invention.

Born in Chicago, Johnson studied at the Art Institute of Chicago and received his MFA from Columbia College Chicago. His early work was photographic, but his practice has expanded significantly to incorporate shea butter, black soap, mirrors, plants, books, record albums, and increasingly large-scale sculptural installations. Each material carries specific cultural weight: shea butter and black soap evoke African markets and personal care; books and records represent the Black intellectual and musical traditions; mirrors reflect and multiply.

The Work

Johnson’s paintings — particularly his “Anxious Men” series and the “Bruise Paintings” — have brought him wide critical recognition for their emotional directness and formal intelligence. His large-scale tile and shea butter works are among the most physically distinctive and materially original works being made in American art today.

His work has been featured in major exhibitions including the Whitney Biennial, the Venice Biennale, and solo exhibitions at the Guggenheim Bilbao and the Institute of Contemporary Art Boston.

Legacy

Johnson is represented by Hauser & Wirth and is considered one of the essential voices in contemporary American art. His practice addresses questions of race, identity, and belonging with a scope and ambition that few artists of his generation match.