Ray Johnson is a contemporary visual artist based in Norfolk, VA. Whose work centers on memory, imagination, and intergenerational legacy. Drawing from personal history and collective experience, Johnson uses recurring symbols such as aviator caps, paper airplanes, and intimate family scenes to explore the quiet power of dreaming—especially within Black life and childhood.

Rooted in storytelling and nostalgia, Johnson’s practice treats everyday moments as heirlooms, elevating play, tenderness, and imagination into acts of preservation. His work often balances cinematic lighting with minimal environments, allowing figures and gestures to feel both timeless and present.

As an artist, Johnson is committed to creating work that honors the past while opening space for future possibility. His evolving body of work invites viewers to slow down, remember, and consider imagination not as escape, but as legacy.