Renowned American artist Mitchell Johnson unveils a collection of 25 small-scale paintings in his solo exhibition at Galerie Mercier, Paris. The gallery is conveniently located a short distance from Edward Hopper’s former abode on Rue de Lille, within the 7th arrondissement. Titled ‘Mitchell Johnson: Personal Color (Selected Small Paintings 1988–2026),’ the exhibition is deeply influenced by Johnson’s extensive visits to Paris and Cape Cod, which have profoundly shaped his artistic journey.
Johnson’s work reflects the impact of prominent figures like Edward Hopper and Hans Hofmann. Hofmann’s teachings brought the essence of the School of Paris to America, significantly enriching American Modernism through his ‘push and pull’ theory. Johnson, while pursuing his MFA at Parsons School of Design in the 1980s, was mentored by several of Hofmann’s former students, such as Paul Resika and Jane Freilicher, which distinctly molded his artistic approach.
The exhibition, aiming to highlight the lasting influence of Hofmann’s pedagogy on modern American painting, will be open to the public from February 28 to March 21, 2026. An opening reception is scheduled for February 28 between 3 and 5 pm (CET), followed by an artist talk on March 14 from 2 to 3 pm (CET). Johnson’s artworks are part of 700 private collections and are featured in the permanent collections of 40 museums worldwide. His work has been showcased in retrospectives at both the Bakersfield Museum of Art and Musee Villa Les Camelias in Cap d’Ail, France.
Currently, two exhibitions featuring his larger paintings are running in San Francisco until early April. For more details, visit mitchelljohnson.com or follow him on Instagram at @mitchell_johnson_artist. Interested individuals can request a digital catalog by emailing mitchell.catalog@gmail.com.
