The Freedman Gallery opened new exhibitions on January 24 with the start of the semester. “Femi J. Johnson: Storyscapes” is on view through April 16 in the main gallery and features nearly 30 intricate and vibrant paintings.
Born in Manhattan and raised in Easton, PA, Femi J. Johnson’s early artistic talent in graphite and charcoal drawing led to a professional career as a master draftsman and designer for Bell Laboratories and Lucent Technologies. After thousands of technical drawings over decades of work, Johnson redirected his creative energy back to the fine arts. He completed a two-year studio program at Hudson Valley Community College, where his engagement with contemporary and modernist art inspired his emerging studio practice. In 2012 Johnson returned to the Lehigh Valley and has exhibited extensively across the region and internationally. He is documented in “Afrocosmologies: American Reflections” at the Wadsworth Athenaeum Museum of Art.
A collection of his storyscape paintings will be displayed. These works embody a uniquely raw and permissive form of contemporary abstraction. Floating harmonized color, shaped figural elements, and snippets of line drawing all find their position and coalesce as expressions of Johnson’s worldview. Familiar places, formal or self-educated beliefs, and personal or media-influenced subjects saturate his mutable compositions, freeing the viewer to explore interchangeable scenarios.
Translating chaos into temporary but believable order on canvas, Johnson’s cohesive improvisations exalt the rich connectivity of life. A full-color catalogue with critical essay by professor Kristen T. Woodward is forthcoming. Join us for the opening reception Fri., Feb. 10, 5-7 p.m. at the Freedman Gallery, to learn more about this exceptional artwork. This event is free and open to public
The gallery is open Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, 1-4 p.m., and all events are free and open to the public. View virtual tours and presentations from past exhibitions on our YouTube page.
