From September 21 to November 2, 2024, Nicodim Los Angeles will present Ritual of Welcome, Devin B. Johnson's fifth solo exhibition with the gallery and his third at their Los Angeles location. This show marks yet another expansion into Johnson's evolving artistic universe. To him, art is all about drawing from the rich veins of history, transforming fragments of the past into fresh, compelling narratives.

Johnson wants art to be able to transform the past into a foundation for the future, a dialogue between memory and possibility. Every element in his work casts familiar symbols into new forms of exploration and connection — distilling the wisdom, experiences, and lessons of those who came before, then reimagining them to spark innovation and progress. And his recurring motif of vintage cars in his pieces serves as a metaphor, embodying both the nostalgia of where we’ve been and the momentum of driving toward what's yet to come.

The collection includes eight figurative paintings, five abstract works, and four pieces on paper, all of which weave together the insights, experiences, and lessons Johnson has gathered throughout not only his artistic journey but also his life. Johnson earned his BA in Fine Arts from California State University of Channel Islands in 2015, and later completed his MFA at Pratt Institute in 2019. He has gained significant recognition, including making the Artsy Vanguard list in 2022 and being featured in Forbes' 30 Under 30 in Art and Design that same year. His accolades also include being highlighted as one of Cultured’s “Young Artists” in 2021 and being selected for the inaugural year of the Black Rock Senegal residency in 2020.

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