Kameirah Johnson, a senior at Seattle’s Lakeside School, is one of five students nationwide whose artwork will appear on the Google homepage later this month, after being selected as a finalist in the annual Doodle for Google contest.
The contest, which drew tens of thousands of submissions from K-12 students, invited entrants to interpret the theme, “My superpower is …” through original artwork. Kameirah, 18, of Renton, Wash., created a piece centered on hair as a symbol of identity and inherited strength.
The work depicts three figures — inspired by Kameirah, her mother Simone, and her sister Kalieyah — lying in the grass, their hair styled as crowns.
Her artist’s statement reads: “My superpower is my hair and the family history it carries. Each texture and style holds culture, care, and survival passed down without words. Lying in the grass, our crowns rest without weakening. This kinky hair refuses conformity; it makes us different. Shaped by our lineage, our hair is undeniably beautiful.”
Kameirah said she spent more than 40 hours on the piece, often staying up late to work on it. She drew on her own photography and old family albums, including film photos her grandmother has preserved for years.
“I often take inspiration from my own photography or from old family photos,” she said. “Using those images as references, I incorporate elements of my family into my art as a way to honor my lineage.”
Kameirah’s path to art started early, watching her older sister draw. She began sketching as a child, but got more serious during COVID, experimenting with pastels and charcoal. A turning point came freshman year, when she completed her first acrylic painting — a portrait of Stevie Wonder — for a school art show. She now works primarily in oils and acrylics, though her Doodle was created digitally.
Kameirah’s artistic pursuits stretch beyond her painting. She’s a dancer, plays bass guitar in a cover band, collects records, and makes short films.
In the fall, she’ll head to NYU to study economics and studio arts, with an eye toward the intersection of art and business. She hopes to own a gallery someday.
The five finalists’ artwork will appear on the Google homepage on April 28. The public can vote for a favorite through April 29, with the overall winner announced May 12. Kameirah has already secured a $10,000 college scholarship and a Chromebook. If she wins the top prize, that total jumps to $55,000, and her school would receive a $50,000 technology package.
Now in its 17th year, the Doodle for Google contest has attracted Seattle-area winners in the past. Mahee Chandrasekhar, a ninth grader at Redmond High School, was the Washington state winner in the 16th contest. In 2023, sixth-grader Rebecca Wu of the International School in Bellevue, had her artwork recognized.
Judges this year include NBA All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo and 2025 National Teacher of the Year Ashlie Crosson.
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