Born in Buffalo, New York, LeRoi C. Johnson was raised a catholic in an eastside project in Buffalo, New York and later became a prominent Buffalo attorney. He is a Canisius College graduate, attended the University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Design and is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center.

LeRoi worked as an attorney in Washington, D.C. distinguishing himself as the chief legislative assistant to the District of Columbia City Council Committee on Employment and Economic Development and later as Director of Minority Business for the city. He amassed an impressive legislative record along with procuring record contracts for minority businesses.

During his D.C. days he spent many hours visiting Washington museums and was co-founder of the Museum of the City of Washington. But it was his daily lunches just across the street from his office which he remembers best as an early inspiration to paint.

In the 1980’s LeRoi worked as the manager for rock star Rick James. He ran one of the world’s largest independent entertainment companies. For many years he traveled extensively around the world. His experiences and travels are clearly reflected in his eclectic style of art. His work is imaginary, introspective, symbolic and story like.

LeRoi is an untrained artist who exemplifies “outsider art”. His only formal training was a high school commercial art class. He painted in law school as a form of relief adapting a geometric style very popular in the art world of the 70’s. In his 1974 Caribbean sojourn he produced “Eyelander” a primitive self portrait which is still part of his collection.

LeRoi did not paint from 1976 through 1994. Then in 1994, after the director of the Brooklyn Museum commented on the quality of his work he again began to paint in earnest. His newfound inspiration stimulated his return to the brush and canvas.

After 1994 LeRoi became a prominent fixture in the Buffalo community as both an artist and proponent of the arts. Influenced by modern art, black and African themes, his work became more accomplished and stylized. He sought and achieved a fusion of African art on his own geometric 70’s style.

LeRoi’s close friend Jon Simon encouraged his first show at his hair salon where Simon exhibited many artists. Don Metz, then director of the Burchfield Penney Art Center saw the show and was impressed enough to arrange a one man exhibit at the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, a center for attracting regional business. This was the first major showing of his work and was the Partnership’s first single artist exhibit. LeRoi has since had shows at the Buffalo and Erie County Art’s Council; and group shows at the Theodore Roosevelt House and Burchfield’s Joy Museum.

LeRoi is a remarkable painter. He is almost completely self-taught. His early bright colorful work is implicitly autobiographical in theme. Among his influences are his training in commercial art and his sophisticated African Art Collection of thirty years. He successfully fuses geometric abstraction with both his personal experiences and African themes. Lately his style has altered; it has become less geometric and more representational of his human experience, especially as an African American. He is now less personal and more antidotal.

LeRoi’s art is bright, colorful, symbolic and original. He copies no other artist and has become an accomplished, sophisticated artist… whose best work is still to come.

Dr. Albert L. Michaels
History Department
University at Buffalo

Dr. Albert L. Michaels is a history professor at the State University of New York at Buffalo. He has written numerous books on history and art including books on Virginia Cuthbert, Martha Visser’Hoft: Buffalo Society of Artist, and Charles Rand Penney; A Biography. He has also authored Forest Lawn Cemetery and Classic Buffalo.