Rashid Johnson (American, b. 1977) is a Contemporary artist working in sculpture and photography, frequently incorporating everyday—but often culturally loaded—objects such as sea butter, soap, wax, and VHS tapes. Johnson’s work investigates racial identity in the context of Conceptual Post-Black art, with both humor and pathos.
Johnson first rose to prominence when, at the age of 21, he participated in the seminal group exhibition Freestyle at the Studio Museum in Harlem. He has since had solo exhibitions at the Sculpture Center, Hauser & Wirth, the Kemper Art Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Salon 94, and many others. His work has also been in group exhibitions at the Guggenheim, LACMA, the 2011 Venice Biennale, and, recently, the Whitney Museum’s first exhibition in their new building, America Is Hard to See.
