Ayomide (A.Y.) Johnson is a Nigerian artist based in Ontario, Canada. Her artistic queries surround themes of afro-centric social issues, black feminist dialogue, and exploration of her Yoruba heritage. Through barrier-free visualization, she encourages conversation on these topics as she discusses ideas of beauty and strength, and further explores the contradictions of female and cultural identity, drawing the viewer into conversations about, race, spirituality and tradition.
Johnson graduated from the Ontario University of Arts and Design (OCAD U) in Toronto, Ontario with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts and has extensive experience showing work in exhibitions across the greater Toronto area. She has also been commissioned to produce works in her local community.
Statement
As an interdisciplinary artist, I work in painting, photography, drawing, sculpture and mixed media. My subject matter is both introspective and experimental in nature, and centers on afro-centric social issues, black feminist dialogue, identity, and representation. More particularly, many of my projects use a mix of mediums to explore topics embedded in traditional Yoruba culture and heritage. Of particular interest to me is the exploration of the themes and teachings embedded in Yoruba mythology, and their current relation to our societies. Taking inspiration from these themes, I am interested in drawing viewers into conversations about spirituality, tradition, acceptance and more.
My process often consists of making a collection of objects, images, and sketches that address a loose theme, and then using my experiences and interpretations, I create meaning through the compositions and relationships built between these objects. Many pieces start with a kind of open-ended uncertainty that affords more space for surprise and discovery. This leads to my interests in a variety of mediums and ways to interpret my ideas. I think of the rhythm of this process as ‘fast then slow,’ a multitude of quick pieces that avoid the pressures of finality. I then use these collections as material to build a narrative or experience that relies on the relationships between those pieces, or the patterns that reveal themselves only when they are examined as a group.
I am interested in an expanded definition of art, and often look at my works as a catalogue of my interpretations, and a place I can look back to in self-reflection. I collate, mend, and combine various mediums and place importance on crafting as a part of my practice. This process is very sculptural and intimate. The barrier free visualization of art-making affords me the ability to make the most of my ideas.
EDUCATION
BACHELOR OF FINE ARTS
OCAD University | 2019 - 2023
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2023 itumọ, Sealed Art Gallery, Hamilton ON
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2024 Revival, University of Toronto, Toronto ON
2022 Gathering Divergence, Ada Slight Gallery, Toronto ON
Decolonizing Art from The Turtle Islands to the Islands of the Bahamas, Ada Slight Gallery, Toronto ON
2021 Black =, Ada Slight Gallery, Toronto ON
2020 Black History Month Exhibition, Ada Slight Gallery, Toronto ON
2019 First Self, Ada Slight Gallery, Toronto ON
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2024 Auction, 27 Under 27, Peggy Inc., Toronto ON
2023 Mentorship, Daniels Mentorship Program, The Daniels Corporation, Brampton ON
2022 Residency, Decolonizing Art from the Turtle Islands to the Islands of the Bahamas, Nassau BH
2021 Auction, Mistletoe Magic, John B. Arid Gallery, Toronto ON
TEACHING
2022-2023 Drawing & Sketching, City of Brampton Recreation
2019-2023 Art Skills Level 2, City of Brampton Recreation
2019-2023 Art Skills Level 1, City of Brampton Recreation
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