David Stephen Johnson (b. Pittsburgh, 1949) is an abstract painter based in Westport, Connecticut. He was awarded a scholarship to college as a star quarterback, playing for South Dakota State, and later earned his BA in Business Administration at the University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management. He lived in Chicago in the 70s and
shared a studio space with a sculptor at the Chicago Art Institute. He fostered his love for art while developing a series of paintings for his first show at Riverside Gallery. While raising his family, he continued a successful career in advertising between Miami and New York for the prestigious agency Lord, Geller, Federico, Einstein.
He embraced his self-taught path in painting, building a deliberately unpublished body of work studying color and shape, partly influenced by post-war abstract expressionists. His natural athleticism and grace led him toward the great action painters. In 2017 he retired from the business to pursue his passion for painting. Since then, he has participated in
numerous exhibitions across the US in Miami, Aspen, New York where he was the “Featured Artist to Watch.”
2023 brought David to fashion darling Christian Siriano’s location in Westport. His large scale piece Inception was the highlight of their opening in late March. His Red Over Black hangs in Mr. Siriano’s home in Westport. Christian’s home was featured on The Today Show and David was tickled to see his piece a part of that house tour.
At the New Year 2025, the luxury hotel group, The Delamar Hotel Collection commissioned three of David’s large scale pieces for their highly anticipated addition to their portfolio, the Delamar Westport. The 85-room luxury hotel opened in July.
