Verlena Johnson was born and raised in the Midwest (Wisconsin and Illinois),
but also briefly lived in New York City, Ealing England and most recently
Oakland and Long Beach California. She earned a Master's Degree in Afro-
American Studies (Art History, 1996) from the University of Wisconsin —
Madison and a Master’s of Fine Arts Degree from The School of the Art Institute
of Chicago (Sculpture, 2001). She has also studied wood carving with master
Ghanaian woodcarvers and studied at both Penland School of Craft and
Haystack Mountain School of Craft.
She has exhibited her work in Chicago (IL), Oakland (CA), Madison (WI), and
New York (NY).
I am a multimedia artist. My artwork includes drawing, painting, sculpture,
puppetry, performance and video. Oftentimes my art is figurative and conveys a
narrative. I am interested in the psychological and emotional possibilities of
portraits and am interested in exploring the gaze and the subjectivity of my
figures. Another common theme found in my work is halos. I have taken the
halo as a symbol found in early European and North and East African paintings
and used them to more generally symbolize divinity and the connectedness of
the subject(s) with the Universe (or Love).
I have been greatly inspired by a broad range of genres, styles and
philosophical approaches to art making, i.e., Comix Art, Pop Art, “Outsider Art,”
and Abstract Expressionism. I have also found great inspiration in mysticism,
spirituality and popular culture.
verlenasroom@yahoo.com