Biography & Artist Statement

I grew up in Park Hill, one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the city of Denver. Throughout my life, I have been a constant observer of the interactions between different sorts of people. Watching the ways that people react and relate to one another, both good and bad, has long been a curiosity of mine and that has inspired my current painting series, documenting the life and spirit of urban people.

My neighborhood is currently undergoing a process of gentrification. Gentrification has now become a national thing. Neighborhoods that once were the keepers of the culture are experiencing a takeover, radically shifting from one culture to another and along with socioeconomic displacement the inner city looks more mixed than ever before. My paintings depict day-to-day life in the city, while exploring how each person’s identity influences how they see the humanity and value of people outside their group. As a black woman artist, the black narrative has been the focus of my paintings, but I can’t overlook new cultural interactions at play in the community around me. The gentrification in my neighborhood has forced me to confront its negative effects, such as the displacement of whole communities of long-time residents. Will urban life now be considered a luxury for elites only, or can the city become an intersection where diverse groups learn to come together, and can thrive together? As I observe these interactions, I capture what is important to me: unity.

My paintings largely reflect what I see in my community on a positive level. I feel too much negativity gets out into the world. I focus on portraits placed in an environment where people are doing what comes naturally to them. I capture the energy and emotion of my subject matter. I believe if I paint an interaction of unusual encounters people will become familiar with those interactions and possibly change the norm-much like the lone black figure in classical paintings that people tend to overlook. My painting practice focuses on a narrative that is interactive in a way that singles out the sitter and draws curiosity. The question is can we live together?

Curriculum Vitae

Rochelle D. Johnson

1964  Born, Denver, Colorado.
Currently resides in Denver, Colorado

Education

1992   B.A., Rocky Mountain College of Art & Design, Denver, Colorado          

2007-2011  Art Students League of Denver, Denver, Colorado

Studied with Ron Hicks, Andrea T. Kemp, and Jordan Wolfson

Selected Exhibition

2021 From This Day Forward, Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, Boulder, Colorado, Guest Curator Tya Alisa Anthony

2020 Portrait of a City, Solo Exhibition, McNichols Building, Civic Center Park, Denver, Colorado

2019 Depictions, Solo Exhibition, Framed Gallery, Cleveland, Ohio

2018   The Search Within: Daughters of the Diaspora, The Art Center, Group Exhibition, Grand Junction, Colorado, Curated by Rochelle Johnson

2017    Inclusion: Diverse Voices of the Modern West, McNichols Civic Center Building, Group Exhibition, Denver, Colorado, Curated by Rochelle Johnson

2014    African-American Contemporary Artists, Curtis Arts & Humanities Center, Group Exhibition, Greenwood Village, Colorado

2013    Summer Exhibit, White Stone Gallery  Group Exhibition, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

2012    The Culture of African American Art, Republic Plaza Building Group Exhibition, Denver, Colorado, Curated by Andra Archer

2011    Emergence: Contemporary Artist to Watch, Galerie Myrtis Fine Art Gallery, Group Exhibition, Baltimore, Maryland

2010    A Woman’s Work, Avisca Fine Art Gallery Group Exhibition of 20 women visual artist, Marietta, Georgia

2009   Black Artists Speak, the Arts Students League of Denver Group Exhibition presented by Sankofa Arts Alliance, Denver, Colorado,

With Guest Faculty Artist Ron Hicks and Michael Gadlin Curator Rochelle Johnson

2008    Family, CORE New Art Space, Group Exhibition presented by Sankofa Arts Alliance in the Santa Fe Arts District, Denver, Colorado

2008 Sankofa! Sankofa! Looking Back-Moving Forward, Lakewood Cultural Center, Group Exhibition (November through February)  Lakewood, Colorado

2007     Sankofa Celebrates Black History Month, The Other Sides Arts (TOSA), the Aurora Arts District, Aurora, Colorado

2006    Finding Common Ground, CHAC Gallery and Collaborative exhibit with Sankofa Arts Collective.

2006 Sankofa Back Do’ Studio And The Chicano Humanities Arts Council at the, Denver, Colorado, Santa Fe Arts District and Five Points cultural district

2006 The Soul of Colorado Exhibition Denver International Collective exhibition at the Denver International Airport (February through April), Denver, Colorado

Selected Bibliography

American Art Collector, The Art Lover’s Guide to Collecting Fine Art in Colorado, March 2019

American Art Collector, Personal Connections the Figure in Art, December, 2014

American Art Collector, Enduring Interpretations Collecting Portraits, August, 2013

Ekakshara, selected image, 2009 The African American Voice, Artist’s Profile, May, 2007

The Urban Spectrum, By Her Hand, March, 2005

When a Sistah’s Fed Up, cover illustration, 2005