John Wilson: Family & Friends Exhibit Opens

By Celina Colby

The Martha Richardson Fine Art gallery will show “John Wilson: family & friends” and an intimate exhibition of works by one of Boston’s most loved African-American artists and Brookline's former resident through December 20.

“John Wilson was somebody who really cared about his family and was also very open to all of his children’s friends. His house was open to everybody in the neighborhood,” says Richardson. “Abstract art didn’t appeal to him; he was interested in the inner soul of people and elevating African Americans through that.”

The show features paintings and drawings of Wilson’s own family members, including his three children Becky, Erica, and Roy, as well as images of the family’s friends. The range of family members also illustrates Wilson’s heritage and journey to Brookline. Viewers see drawn portraits of Wilson’s grandparents who lived in Guyana, a self-portrait of Wilson who grew up in Roxbury, and a portrait of the family friend Sherry who moved in with the Wilson’s to attend the Brookline school system. The exhibition illustrates how many places and backgrounds can converge in life.

In addition to demonstrating the Wilson clan's deep familial love, the exhibition showcases Wilson’s incredible talent. In many of the pieces presented, Wilson would apply color through strokes of crayon or pastel and then draw in the form of a person on top of those strokes, a highly unusual way of working that requires a deep understanding of form. “He was such a master draftsman,” says Richardson.

The show comes at a time when Brookliners are experiencing family in a new way. Some may be sheltering in place with family members; others may celebrate holidays via Zoom this year. The pandemic has underscored the importance of family, whether blood relations or chosen family, in a time when fear and isolation run rampant.

“I’ve been so impressed by how the word ‘family’ extends out in their lives to people who have been part of their family who are maybe not related,” says Richardson of the Wilson clan. Now more than ever is the time to extend that familial kindness to neighbors and community members.

Brookliners may be familiar with Wilson’s sculptural work through Martin Luther King Jr.'s sculpture that sits in the Brookline Town Hall. “John Wilson: family & friends” is a wonderful way to immerse oneself in the paper works of the extraordinary artist. The Martha Richardson Fine Art gallery is open by appointment for a socially distanced viewing of the works. They are also all available to be viewed online.

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