Artist Profile
Wiley Johnson
About me
An art therapist handed me watercolors and paper during a hospitalization more than 20 years ago. I liked the flowing colors and sensation of calm that swept over me. I started creating small abstract acrylic on canvas paintings after I came home.
My brother was killed in a motorcycle accident in 2011. Painting helped me get through a difficult time. I gradually started painting larger canvases and entering art calls. I had my first solo exhibit in 2020. My big break came in 2020 when I became the 1st NC artist represented by ArtLifting, Boston. ArtLifting represents artists with disabilities. I have an exclusive agreement with them for some of my paintings/images. They have installed large reproductions of my images at major corporations.
I have autism spectrum disorder. Art connects me to my community in a way that nothing else can. I am grateful for the opportunities that art gives me.