Merritt Johnson (born 1977) [1] [2] is an American contemporary artist, often centering her work on Native American themes. [3]
Merritt Johnson (born 1977) [1] [2] is an American contemporary artist, often centering her work on Native American themes. [3]
Johnson was born in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1977. [1] [2] [4]
Her love for art began when she was very young when she discovered a book with Picasso's paintings. [5]
She received a Bachelor's in Fine Arts from Carnegie Mellon University and a Master's in Fine Arts from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. [4]
Johnson said that her art is viewed differently by Indigenous and non-Indigenous viewers because of their lack of knowledge and understanding of Indigenous terms, culture, and land. [5] She wrote that when people hear about Native American Art, most of them think of "beads and feathers". [3] [6] She uses traditional materials to create emphasis on problems that have had a long history. [6]
She described herself and was described by others in 2014–2018 as being of Mohawk and Blackfoot descent or "mixed Kanienkehaka (Mohawk), Blackfoot, and non-Indigenous descent". [3] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] However, in May 2021 after her claims of Indigenous ancestry were challenged, Johnson withdrew her work from a Fruitlands Museum exhibition of works by Native American artists. [11] As of November 2021, her personal website says only that she is "of mixed descent, [and] is not claimed by, nor a citizen of any nation from which she descends", without specifically mentioning any Native American heritage. [12]
Johnson's work has been held in the following permanent collections:
 | This section of a biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification .(March 2020) |
Johnson is married and is the mother and stepmother of six children. She lives with her family in Sitka, Alaska. [12]
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