About me
Bakara Johnson
PHOTOGRAPHER + MIXED MEDIA ARTIST + DANCER + POET + HISTORIAN + CLOTHING DESIGNER
Bakara Johnson is an experienced editor in state-federal public policy. She holds an AAS degree in business technology, a BA degree in English, and an MPS in digital publishing, all of which are honorable achievements, but she is shifting paths to nurture her artistic abilities. She wants to pursue a career in advocacy through creative visual and mixed-media art, focusing on incubating public projects and work as a practicing artist.
In honing her talent, Bakara has participated in the art workshops at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art—Studio Arts Department Community Outreach program, which covered a range of visual art forms, including drawing, painting, fiber arts, Kente cloth weaving, silk screen printing and beading. Bakara's goal was to develop a distinct artistic style.
Bakara's work includes imagery inspired by nature, Black American descendants of enslaved people, Black American history and social influences to reflect new authentic approaches to storytelling. Her most recent artistic endeavor is an artist-in-residence at the Coleman Center for the Arts where she created an exhibit titled, "A Portrait of Henrietta Lacks." The focus was to raise awareness about Henrietta Lacks' contribution to medical research and the ethical issues that arise in medical research, particularly for Black people. The residency allowed her to improve her organizational and managerial skills and gave her time to work on growing as an artist. The Coleman Center for the Arts provided space and resources that allowed her to create more than the proposed six artworks, eleven in total, a video and a podcast. She is grateful to the Coleman Center for the Arts for supporting her project as a fledgling creative. Coinciding with the residency Bakara was fortunate to receive an opportunity to particiapte in the National Performance Network's Documenting and Storytelling project.
Before her most recent artist-in-residence and documenting and storytelling projects, she has been focused on nature photography, specifically flowers. She uses the metaphor of giving Black people their flowers to honor important Americans in the Black community while they are still living, as well as to honor the ancestors who have influenced her artistry.
Flower Pics
Projects
Artist-in-Residence at the
Coleman Center for the Arts
Inda Hightower Artist-in-Residence Facility
During the Artist Engagement program, I participated in the "A Portrait of Henrietta Lacks" artist-in-residency project at the Coleman Center for the Arts. The project aimed to raise awareness about Henrietta Lacks' contributions to medical research and the ethical complexities surrounding it, particularly for Black American individuals. Through my artwork, I sought to foster understanding and awareness of these issues. The residency provided an invaluable platform for me to refine my organizational and managerial skills and grow as an artist. I am immensely grateful to the Coleman Center for their unwavering support. With their resources, I exceeded expectations by creating eleven artworks, along with a video and podcast. The Coleman Center's belief in my creative potential has been instrumental in my development as an emerging artist.
Artist Talk - Bakara Johnson
The Coleman Collective - May 15, 2023
Join us for a chat with artist-in-residence Bakara Johnson
National Performance Network Documenting & Storytelling Project
Documenting and sharing the story about my art exhibition on Henrietta Lacks in York, Alabama was a powerful experience. For those who may not know, Henrietta Lacks was a Black American woman whose cancer cells were taken without her knowledge and used for scientific research that led to numerous medical breakthroughs. However, her family was not informed until years later and did not receive any compensation for the use of her cells.
My exhibition aimed to shed light on this injustice and honor the life of Henrietta Lacks through art. Each piece was carefully crafted to tell her story and bring attention to the importance of informed consent and ethical medical research.
I documented my process for creating my art pieces, and captured images and responses from participants in my Art Walk workshop and Artist Talk. It was heartwarming to see how many people were moved by Henrietta's story and how the exhibition opened their eyes to the issues surrounding medical ethics.
I had the opportunity to record a podcast for The Coleman Collective Show on Spotify sharing my background, my process and documenting my overall experience in York.
I hope that my exhibition will continue to spark conversations and inspire change in the medical field with regards to ethical behavior concerning the treatment of Black people.
The Documenting A Portrait of Henrietta Lacks was made possible by the NPN Documenting and Storytelling Fund.
Mixed Media
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Stay in Touch
Bakara Johnson
bakara.johnson1@gmail.com
Blakink21@gmail.com
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