Philemona Williamson
Philemona Williams is acclaimed for narrative paintings in which she populates with children and adolescents, beautifully encapsulating themes of time and memory, revealing fleeting moments that are at once unknown but relatable. Her paintings inspire infinite narratives as her subjects intertwine with our own experiences.
-
A Pause Requested, 2021
-
Snow Interrupted, 2021
-
Uneven Ground, 2021
-
Water for Peaches, 2021
-
Cautious Play, 2020
-
Entangled in Truth, 2020
-
Eye of the Observer, 2020
-
Fragile Promises, 2020
-
Harvesting the River, 2020
-
In Time We Remember Everything, 2020
-
Land For Be Time, 2020
-
Look All Ways, 2020
-
Perilous Exchange, 2020
-
Red Boat Float, 2020
-
Step Lightly, 2020
-
Wisdom Holds Innocence Close, 2020
-
Round About Midnight, 2015
-
Because I Said So, 2011-2012
Philemona Williams is acclaimed for narrative paintings in which she populates with children and adolescents, beautifully encapsulating themes of time and memory, revealing fleeting moments that are at once unknown but relatable. Her paintings inspire infinite narratives as her subjects intertwine with our own experiences.
Williamson explores the tenuous bridge between adolescence and adulthood, encapsulating the intersection of innocence and experience at its most piercing and poignant moment. The lush color palette and dreamlike positioning of the figures ensures that their vulnerability - of age, of race, of sexual identity - is seen as strength and not as weakness.
Williamson recently had a mid-career retrospective at the Montclair Art Museum, NJ and collaborated with author Marilyn Nelson to create a series of paintings for the children’s book “Lubaya’s Quiet Roar” (Penguin Random House). She is the recipient of numerous awards and residencies including the Joan Mitchell Foundation, Pollock-Krasner, National Endowment for the Arts and New York Foundation for the Arts. Williamson also served on the advisory board of the Getty Center for Education. She has shown in institutions including The Queens Museum of Art, The Bass, Miami, and Contemporary Art Museum, St. Louis. Williamson’s work is in museums including the Montclair Art Museum, NJ, Kalamazoo Institutes of Arts, MI, Mint Museum, NC, Smith College Museum of Art, MA, Hampton University Museum, VA and Sheldon Art Museum, NE. Her public works include murals for the MTA Arts in Transit Program. Art & Object named her “10 Contemporary Black Artists You Should Know More About”. She currently teaches painting at Pratt Institute and Hunter College in New York.
-
Entangled Gaze
Jenkins Johnson Gallery 13 Jan - 9 Mar 2024Jenkins Johnson Gallery is pleased to present Entangled Gaze, a group exhibition featuring artists Wesaam Al-Badry, Adrian Burrell, Melissa Cooke Benson, Lalla Essaydi, Hendrik Kerstens, Aïda Muluneh, Raelis Vasquez, and Philemona Williamson.Read more -
Cyclical Bloom
Patrick Alston, Kevin Cole, Lisa Corinne Davis, Scott Fraser, Aïda Muluneh, Wycliffe Mundopa, Blessing Ngobeni, Enrico Riley, and Philemona Williamson 6 May - 24 Jun 2023Jenkins Johnson Gallery is pleased to present a group exhibition including artists, Patrick Alston, Kevin Cole, Lisa Corinne Davis, Scott Fraser, Aïda Muluneh, Wycliffe Mundopa, Blessing Ngobeni, Enrico Riley, and...Read more -
Philemona Williamson
Entangled in Truth 11 Sep - 20 Nov 2021Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco, is pleased to present Entangled in Truth, Philemona Williamson’s first solo exhibition in San Francisco, with an accompanying essay by Dr. Jacqueline Francis, Writer and...Read more
-
EXPO Chicago
Chicago, IL 13 - 16 Apr 2023Jenkins Johnson Gallery is pleased to announce its participation in the 2023 edition of EXPO Chicago which will take place at the Navy Pier's Festival...Read more -
Art Basel Miami Beach
Miami, FL 1 - 4 Dec 2021Jenkins Johnson will present artists who explore social and political issues of the Black Diaspora by bridging historical and contemporary moments: Jae and Wadsworth Jarrell,...Read more -
Frieze London OVR
London, United Kingdom 13 - 17 Oct 2021Jenkins Johnson Gallery was proud to participate in Frieze London OVR 2021. The online viewing room was live from October 13th through October 17th. The...Read more -
The Armory Show
New York, NY 9 - 12 Sep 2021Jenkins Johnson Gallery was pleased to participate in The Armory Show 2021 at the Javits Center from September 9th - 12th. We presented a selection...Read more -
Art Basel OVR: Portals
Online Viewing Room 16 - 19 Jun 2021Jenkins Johnson presents two New York artists from the same generation, Lisa Corinne Davis and Philemona Williamson. Davis’ practice is rooted in abstraction, while Williamson...Read more -
Frieze New York
New York, NY 5 - 9 May 2021Jenkins Johnson presented artists who explore social and political issues of the Diaspora by bridging past and contemporary moments: Wadsworth Jarrell, Gordon Parks, Ming Smith,...Read more -
EXPO Chicago
Chicago, IL 8 - 12 Apr 2021Jenkins Johnson Gallery was proud to participate in EXPO CHGO ONLINE 2021. Our presentation, Reflections, featured the work of Dewey Crumpler, Lisa Corinne Davis, Alex...Read more
-
EXPO Chicago
Chicago, IL 13 - 16 Apr 2023Jenkins Johnson Gallery is pleased to announce its participation in the 2023 edition of EXPO Chicago which will take place at the Navy Pier's Festival...Read more -
Art Basel Miami Beach
Miami, FL 1 - 4 Dec 2021Jenkins Johnson will present artists who explore social and political issues of the Black Diaspora by bridging historical and contemporary moments: Jae and Wadsworth Jarrell,...Read more -
Frieze London OVR
London, United Kingdom 13 - 17 Oct 2021Jenkins Johnson Gallery was proud to participate in Frieze London OVR 2021. The online viewing room was live from October 13th through October 17th. The...Read more -
The Armory Show
New York, NY 9 - 12 Sep 2021Jenkins Johnson Gallery was pleased to participate in The Armory Show 2021 at the Javits Center from September 9th - 12th. We presented a selection...Read more -
Art Basel OVR: Portals
Online Viewing Room 16 - 19 Jun 2021Jenkins Johnson presents two New York artists from the same generation, Lisa Corinne Davis and Philemona Williamson. Davis’ practice is rooted in abstraction, while Williamson...Read more -
Frieze New York
New York, NY 5 - 9 May 2021Jenkins Johnson presented artists who explore social and political issues of the Diaspora by bridging past and contemporary moments: Wadsworth Jarrell, Gordon Parks, Ming Smith,...Read more -
EXPO Chicago
Chicago, IL 8 - 12 Apr 2021Jenkins Johnson Gallery was proud to participate in EXPO CHGO ONLINE 2021. Our presentation, Reflections, featured the work of Dewey Crumpler, Lisa Corinne Davis, Alex...Read more