RASHID JOHNSON
Untitled Large Bruise
2022
Screen printing with hand-applied pigment
152.4 x 130.8 cm

American artist Rashid Johnson (born in 1977) is recognized for his multifaceted practice that engages with themes of identity, history, memory, and the complexities of Black experience. Born in Chicago, Johnson studied at Columbia College Chicago and gained prominence in the early 2000s with work that combined sculpture, painting, photography, and installation. Across his practice, he explores how materials, symbols, and cultural references intersect to construct narratives about race, social power, and personal experience. Johnson often blends everyday materials with metaphoric elements, creating works that are simultaneously intimate, psychological, and socially resonant.

‘Untitled Large Bruise’ (2019) exemplifies Johnson’s mature approach, using scale, texture, and colour to create a work that is both physically and conceptually striking. The piece’s title evokes pain, trauma, and the lingering effects of violence, while the textured surface—built from layered paint, wax, or other materials—acts as a tactile record of process and emotional intensity. Johnson’s abstraction resists literal representation but carries a deeply embodied presence, encouraging viewers to consider the ways history, memory, and identity leave visible and invisible marks.

Like much of Johnson’s work, ‘Untitled Large Bruise’ combines formal experimentation with cultural critique. By emphasizing surface, materiality, and scale, the work communicates both vulnerability and resilience. The piece’s abstracted yet evocative form allows it to function as a metaphor for individual and collective experiences of struggle, endurance, and transformation, while the rich textures and subtle tonal variations reward close visual attention.

In the context of Johnson’s broader practice, ‘Untitled Large Bruise’ exemplifies his ongoing commitment to exploring the intersections of material, identity, and social history. The work transforms abstraction into a vessel for memory, presence, and reflection, engaging viewers in both an aesthetic and conceptual dialogue about the enduring impact of personal and cultural histories.