Jay Johnson is a native of Brooklyn and hails from Bedford Stuyvesant. Jay is the son of an artist, and follows in his father's footsteps by creating artistry on heads of hair, for the stage and film. Jay has been cutting hair for over 15 years. He is a full service barber specializing in all types of cuts, hair textures, Bigen, hair coloring, facials, and razor shaves. As a teenager he was wowed by the transformative power of a haircut. It is what prompted him to experiment on his own hair and the hair of his friends. And it is precisely this sort of respect and admiration for the haircut that Jay brings to his work today.
In addition to being a licensed barber, Jay is also an instructor and designer for film and theatre. He trains beauticians in the art of cutting and styling for men. His film work spans from styling Oscar award winner Actress Lupita Nyong’o, on 12 years a Slave and Actor Jimmy Fails in Last Black Man of San Francisco. In addition to his work on film, Jay is a resident designer and fabricator for Khunum Productions, a New York based production company. Jay’s hair design work has been featured in both People and InStyle Magazine. His theatre work has been featured at La Mama theatre, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, and Museum of the City of New York, and the Public. His on screen appearances include Gillette commercials and The Jimmy Kimmel Show. Jay has trained at the Aeveda Institute, and completed his barbering styling and cosmetology license at the Beyoncé Cosmetology Center in Brooklyn, and is a self taught visual artist/designer. Be it through, hair, visual arts, or storytelling, Jay is most passionate about personal transformation and transforming they way a person and community looks and feels about themselves.