Born in 1901 in Florence, South Carolina, William Henry Johnson was an African-American artist widely known as one of the most influential American artists of the 20th century. Johnson is know for his folk art depicting the African-American experience in a style blossoming into it's own from the Expressionist movement. He learned to draw from comic strips at an early age, and the rest of his early adult life was spent traveling through Europe, mainly Paris and Denmark (where he would meet his wife), as a painter. He would reside in Denmark for a good portion of his life.
Several years after the death of his beloved wife from cancer in 1943, he became a victim of mental illness. Traveling to Norway for an exhibit he became confused, and was found lost in the streets. He was sent back to New York, put into an institution (where he would remain for the last 23 years of his life), and never painted again. After he fell ill, his work was stored in a warehouse for several years, only to be excavated in the 1950s by the Harmon Foundation, an organization which supported and promoted the work of black artists.
Many of his works circulate the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
There were a few of his prints in my household. I specifically remember "Cafe" (first image). Something about it always spoke comfort and familiarity. Reminds me of home :-)
-Sophia