Michael E. Johnson is a Dallas based professional artist and illustrator with a career spanning over 20 years. He is a graduate of Prairie View A & M University where he received his Bachelor’s Degree in Advertising Art. After his undergraduate studies were completed, Michael went on to study painting at the University of Houston in their post-baccalaureate art program. As a student evolving in his artistic studies at U of H, he was able to further explore and develop his career as a fine artist and illustrator.
Through the use of stylized characters juxtaposed between black and white imagery, the style that Michael affectionately calls his “Faceblackness style” came into existence. This illustrative style, which is typically composed in pen and ink, is a mixture of cartoon style caricatures, Pop-cultural references and social commentaries referencing historical and current events.
As an African American artist, it is Michael’s hope that his work fosters inspiration and an awareness of the various aspects of Black history and culture in America. It is his desire to create intellectual dialogue concerning the existence, experience and powerful legacy of Black people in America history.
