Buena Johnson

Wade in the Water

Pencil & acrylic wash

Artist Statement

"My work is a visual retelling which addresses the difficulties of previous eras by shining a light on historic harm. By illuminating the dark places of the American past, my aim is to create an artistic viewpoint that gives way for hope, positive advancement, and personal wellbeing." — Buena Johnson

About the artist

Buena Johnson

Buena Johnson's artwork is rooted in positive and uplifting affirmations. As a graduate of the Pratt Institute of Art in New York City, her artistic journey led her to LA/Hollywood, California where she created early series of work based on gospel, jazz and the blues. Embracing mutual respect and fairness are two hallmarks that define Buena's artistic practice. This led her to create such powerful series as the "I AM" series. She has strong convictions surrounding helping America heal its racial division with works centering on coming to grips with America's unresolved history of slavery and other such injustices. The goal of her work is to educate and motivate our society for greater social, racial, economic, political and global climate advancement. These concerns are always at the forefront of her consciousness.

She has been fortunate enough to have received many prestigious awards including such distinctive honors as the Lifetime Achievement Award, Art Director Club, New York and the International Colored Pencil Society Award. Her impressive collector base includes Oprah Winfrey, Halle Berry, Arianna Huffington, Dick Van Dyke, & Queen Latifah. She is included in The Kinsey African American Art & History Collection housed by the Smithsonian. Her work was recently collected by the Getty Collection and the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Los Angeles.

Buena is a presenter of lectures and art workshops and exhibits her extraordinary talent in solo and group shows across the United States.