CENTER VALLEY, Pa. — Penn State Lehigh Valley continues its long tradition of welcoming acclaimed artists to the Ronald K. De Long Gallery with the presentation of "Like It Is" by artist Femi J. Johnson. Running from Jan. 26 to May 9, the exhibition features a series of paintings on view in the campus gallery.
“Femi J. Johnson is a contemporary abstract artist whose work draws from personal experience, cultural memory, and spiritual reflection,” said Chancellor Tina Richardson. “Influenced by both his American upbringing and African heritage, his paintings carry a distinctly diasporic perspective.”
“Johnson’s paintings reveal him as a powerful artist, outstanding in his delivery of Like It Is,” said Deborah Rabinsky, curator and part owner of the ARTHAUS museum. “While the work reflects characteristics of expressionism, the exhibition breaks away into Johnson’s own distinctive style through the use of mixed media and collage.”
Femi J. Johnson was born in Manhattan, New York, and raised in Easton, Pennsylvania. His early talent in graphite and charcoal led to a professional career as a master draftsman and designer for companies in Pennsylvania and New York before he returned his focus to fine art. Johnson studied in a two-year studio art program at Hudson Valley Community College, where his engagement with contemporary and modernist art, informed by Yoruba spirituality, shaped his studio practice. Based in Downtown Allentown since 2012, Johnson has exhibited regionally and internationally, with works held in major corporate, private, and institutional collections.
The exhibition is open to the public Monday through Thursday from noon to 5 p.m. and Friday from noon to 3 p.m. The gallery is closed on Saturdays and Sundays. Admission is free.
A formal artist reception will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 4, from 5 to 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
About Penn State Lehigh Valley
Founded in 1912, Penn State Lehigh Valley brings together more than a century of academic excellence with personalized instruction delivered by industry-connected faculty. The campus serves students from Bucks County, Lehigh County, Northampton County, and surrounding regions, as well as students from across the country and around the world. Penn State Lehigh Valley offers 12 bachelor’s degree programs that can be completed entirely on campus and provides pathways into more than 275 Penn State majors through the University’s 2+2 program.