Painting Black Joy: The Folk Modernism of William H. Johnson

Bold color. Rhythmic form. Unapologetic pride. William H. Johnson used the language of paint to tell stories that centered Black life, culture, and resilience in ways few artists had done before him.

Born in 1901 in Florence, South Carolina, Johnson pursued classical training at the National Academy of Design in New York and later immersed himself in the European modernist movement. But despite his academic background and international exposure, his most powerful work emerged when he turned inward—drawing from the richness of his own community, roots, and spirit.

Johnson developed a folk-inspired style that defied convention. Using vivid palettes, expressive lines, and simplified forms, he created scenes that captured the everyday rhythms of Black life in America. Works like Jitterbugs and Harlem Street Scene are alive with music, movement, and the energy of a people who found joy and beauty even in struggle.

As time went on, his focus shifted from daily life to historical and political narratives. He painted Harriet Tubman, African American soldiers in World War II, and other powerful figures—channeling his art into a visual archive of Black history. His storytelling was both spiritual and grounded, filled with reverence and emotional depth.

“My aim is to express in a natural way what I feel both rhythmically and spiritually,” Johnson once said. And that’s exactly what his art continues to do—long after his time.

Despite facing severe hardships in his later years—including poverty, illness, and institutionalization—his creative legacy endures. Today, his work is preserved in major institutions like the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, MoMA, and the National Gallery of Art.

William H. Johnson’s art is more than a contribution to American modernism—it is a living, breathing reflection of Black identity, memory, and spirit. His brush didn’t just paint pictures; it painted a people.