A founding member of the Black British Arts Movement, Claudette Johnson is considered one of the most significant figurative artists of her generation.
For over 30 years she has created large-scale drawings of Black women and men that are at once intimate and powerful.
Working in a variety of media, ranging from monochrome works in dark pastel to vast sheets brightly coloured in vibrant gouache and watercolour.
Johnson’s distinctive drawings of friends, relatives, and often herself seek, as the artist puts it, “to tell a different story about our presence in this country”.
The publication includes a newly commissioned essay by Professor Dorothy Price, Professor of Modern and Contemporary Art and Critical Race Art History at The Courtauld, London and an In Conversation between Claudette Johnson and artist and filmmaker Sir John Akomfrah.
Published on occasion of the exhibitions:
‘Claudette Johnson: Still Here’, 7 Oct – 13 Nov 2021, Hollybush Gardens, London.
‘Claudette Johnson: Drawn Out’, 9 Mar – 29 Apr 2023, Ortuzar Projects, New York.
Additionally, Claudette Johnson has a forthcoming solo exhibition at The Courtauld, London: ‘Claudette Johnson: Presence’ will be open from 29 Sept 2023 – 14 Jan 2024.
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