Ray Johnson is a Norfolk, VA based visual artist who engages representation of black beauty, strength and perseverance. Focusing on black culture Ray’s work uses figures to express the topics of love, struggle and togetherness. Ray’s work is heavily created with oil paint on gallery wrapped canvas. His style uses colorful backgrounds as a backdrop for his black and white portraits and figures. Ray is a self taught painter with some formal art education at Atlanta College or Art and Savannah College of Art and Design. 

  As an artist, Ray aspires to create art that is meaningful and emotional. With the influences of artist like Dr. Fahamu Pecorino, Patrick Dougher and Clayton Singleton, Ray tries to capture the power in what it means to be “black”. Ray wants all people to be able to connect and relate to his work, with a larger hope that his work gives pride through the positive representation of people of color represented in his work.