ABOUT
James Johnson is an Award Winning Tlingit Artist and Carver, born and raised in Juneau, AK. He belongs to the Tlingit Ch’áak’ Dakl’aweidi Clan (Eagle Killerwhale). James is a multi-disciplinary artist but specializes in Tlingit formline design, with a focus on traditional wood carving. Carving is an integral part of the preservation of Tlingit history and culture. “Carving is our visual language that represents who the Tlingit people are, and how we live in balance with all things.” James’s contemporary practice builds upon an indigenous artistic continuum while honoring the culture and it’s rich traditions.
James is nationally recognized with many awards as well as having work included in the collections of multiple museums and institutions. He also carries his culture forward with global brand collaborations including Vans, Lib-Tech snowboards, Volcom, Smartwool, Yeti, and Google. Thru his work, he also supports Native Youth programs in his hometown in Alaska. His late father, Franklin Johnson, first encouraged him to begin carving. James has now dedicated his life to perpetuating the Tlingit art form, honoring his ancestors thru his work.
Exhibitions, Collections, Awards
-Sealaska Heritage Celebration Juried Art Show 2012 - Juneau, Alaska
-Sealaska Heritage Celebration Juried Art Show 2016 - Juneau, Alaska
-Asymbol ”Space Between Mediums” Solo Show 2017 - Jackson Hole, Wyoming
-Sealaska Heritage Celebration Juried Art Show 2018 - Juneau, Alaska
-Museum of Northern Arizona ”Pivot” Art Show 2018 - Flagstaff, Arizona
-Dine College “Pivot" Art Show 2019 - Tsaile, Arizona
-Holland America Cruise Lines 2019 - Tlingit Carving and Cultural Guest Presenter - Alaska
-Denver Museum of Nature and Science - Permanent Collection - Denver, Colorado
-SWAIA Santa Fe Indian Market Juried Art Show 2019 - 1st and 2nd Place Wood Sculpture Division - Santa Fe, New Mexico
-Art Institute of Chicago - Permanent Collection - Chicago, Illinois
-Center of Southwest Studies - Fort Lewis College - “Pivot” Art Show 2020 - Durango, CO
-Sealaska Heritage Celebration Juried Art Show 2020 - 1st Place Wood Sculpture Category - Juneau, AK
-Rocky Mountain Biennial - Museum of Art 2020 - Honorable Mentions - Fort Collins, CO
-U.S Dept. of the Interior Museum - Permanent Collection - Washington, DC
-SWAIA Santa Fe Indian Market Juried Art Show 2020 - Top 5 Sculpture - Santa Fe, New Mexico
-College Art Association 109th Annual Conference - Guest Speaker - New York, NY
-Port Townsend School of Woodworking - Tlingit Carving Instructor 2021 - Port Townsend, WA
-Heard Museum Guild Juried Art Show 2021 - Sculpture Honorable Mention - Phoenix, AZ
-Coconino Center for the Arts 10x10 Exhibition 2021 - Flagstaff, AZ
- US Dept. of the Interior - Sioux Indian Museum - Permanent Collection - Rapid City, SD
- “Art on Deck” Exhibit - Sky Harbor Airport Art Museum - Phoenix, AZ
- “Alaska Native Art: Stories of Healing Through Transformation” 2021 - Five Oaks Museum - Portland, OR
- Burke Museum - Permanent Collection - Seattle, WA
- “Visual Language” US Dept. of the Interior Museum Exhibit 2022 - Sioux Indian Museum - Rapid City, SD
- Natural Selection Speaker Series 2022 - Keynote Speaker Tlingit Art - Jackson, WY
- Indian Pueblo Cultural Center “Pivot” Exhibit 2022 - Albuquerque, NM
- Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art - Permanent Collection - Overland Park, KS
-Native American Art Magazine Artist Feature - June/July Issue 2022 - Arizona
-Sealaska Celebration Juried Art Show 2022 - “Best of Formline Design” Award - Juneau, AK
-”In The Spirit” Contemporary Native Arts Exhibition 2022 - Washington State Historical Society - Tacoma, WA
-VANS x James Johnson Collection - 2022-2023 Available Worldwide - www.vans.com
-”UnMasked” Group Exhibition" 2023- Stonington Gallery - Seattle, WA- www.stoningtongallery.com
-He’e Nalu: The Art and Legacy of Hawaiian Surfing 2023 - Heard Museum - Phoenix, AZ- www.heard.org
-65th Annual Heard Guild Juried Art Show- 2nd Place Diverse Arts - Phoenix, AZ- www.heardguild.org
-RISD Museum of Art - Rhode Island School of Design- Permanent Collection - Providence, RI - www.risdmuseum.org
-”The Power of Water” Stonington Gallery 2023- Seattle, WA - www.stoningtongallery.com
-Rocky Mountain Triennial Juried Art Show - Museum of Art Fort Collins 2023- Honorable Mention - Fort Collins, CO - www.moafc.org
-”In the Spirit” Contemporary Native Art Juried Show 2023- Washington State History Museum - Tacoma, WA - www.washingtonhistory.org
-”Eddie Vedder’s Ohana Fest 2023”- The Cove Gallery - Dana Point, CA - www.ohanafest.com
-”High Level Dialog Indigenous on Indigenous Peoples, Traditional Cultural Expressions and Fashion” 2023 - United Nations (WIPO) Guest Speaker - Geneva, Switzerland - www.wipo.int
-”These Colors Won’t Run” 2023 - Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art - Overland Park, KS - www.nermanmuseum.org
-66th Annual Heard Guild Juried Art Show - 2nd Place Diverse Arts 2024 - Heard Museum Phoenix, AZ - www.heardguild.org
-“On Balance: James Johnson Speaks to Truth” Interview - The Snowboarder’s Journal Magazine Issue 21.4 - 2024 - www.thesnowboardersjournal.com
-“Northern Boarders” Exhibition 2024 - Anchorage Museum - Anchorage, AK - www.anchoragemuseum.org
