PRESS RELEASE

From Attica to the Whitney

Abdul Salaam Muhammad Launches Campaign to Restore the Legacy of Artist Oliver Johnson

Formerly incarcerated artist, author, inventor, and former NYSDOC Nation of Islam Chaplain asks: "Can Any Good Come From Prison?"

NEW YORK, NY - September 2026 - Abdul Salaam Muhammad, Founder and President of Ohanna Art, has launched a national speaking and advocacy campaign to renew public attention to the life and artistic legacy of the late African American artist Oliver Johnson.

Muhammad first met Johnson in Attica Prison in 1977, where their cells were adjacent. Johnson served as an inmate art instructor, encouraging Muhammad and others to use art as a means of expression, dignity, and transformation.

"Oliver Johnson was not simply an artist I knew. He was my teacher, my friend, and one of the people who helped me understand the transformative power of art."

Nearly five decades later, Muhammad is working to ensure that Johnson's contributions are not forgotten.

Preserving an Overlooked Legacy 

Johnson gained recognition during the 1970s and 1980s, and his work became associated with major cultural institutions, including the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Studio Museum in Harlem, and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

Through the campaign, Muhammad is calling for renewed scholarly, curatorial, and market examination of Johnson's place in African American art history.

"Oliver Johnson's story challenges us to reconsider who gets remembered in African American art history - and who gets left out."

Muhammad preserves original artworks and archival materials connected to their time at Attica, including pieces Johnson gave him during and after their incarceration. Together, these materials form a personal historical record of their relationship and the creative environment in which they developed.

Can Any Good Come From Prison?

Muhammad's forthcoming book and speaking presentation, Can Any Good Come From Prison?, tells the story of two men whose lives became connected through art inside one of America's most infamous prisons.

Following his incarceration, Muhammad became an author, inventor, United States patent holder, artist, and Nation of Islam Chaplain with the New York State Department of Corrections, serving 60 correctional facilities, including Attica.

His campaign is in honor of his dear friend and art teacher, Oliver Johnson, and to tell their story to address larger themes of mentorship, redemption, creativity, historical preservation, and the potential of formerly incarcerated people. 

Media Contact
Abdul Salaam Muhammad
Founder and President, Ohanna Enterprises, LLC (Ohanna Art)
Email: salaam@ohannaart.com
Phone: 201-282-0937
Website: www.ohannaart.com