A Seattle high school Google Doodle honors the history of hair and family as superpowers
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 Google’s annual Doodle contest.
The contest, which drew tens of thousands of applications from K-12 students, invited entrants to interpret the theme, “My superpower …” with original artwork. Kameirah, 18, of Renton, Wash., created a piece centered on hair as a symbol of self-awareness and the strength she inherited.
The work shows three people – inspired by Kameirah, her mother Simone, and her sister Kalieyah – lying on the grass, their hair made into crowns.
Her artist’s statement reads: “My greatest strength is my hair and the family history it carries. Each texture and style carries tradition, care, and life passed without words. Lying in the grass, our crowns rest without weakness. This kinky hair refuses to conform; it makes us unique. Shaped by our lineage, our hair is undeniably beautiful.”
Kameirah said she spent more than 40 hours on the piece, often staying up late into the night to work on it. He drew from his own photos and old family albums, including film stills his grandmother kept for years.
“I often take inspiration from my photos or old family photos,” she said. “I use those images as references, incorporating elements of my family into my art as a way of honoring my lineage.”
Kameirah’s path to art began early, watching her older sister draw. He started painting at a young age, but became more serious during the COVID-19 pandemic, experimenting with pastels and charcoal. A change happened in the freshman year, when he finished his first acrylic painting – a portrait of Stevie Wonder – for a school art show. He now works primarily in oils and acrylics, although his Doodles are created digitally.
Kameirah’s artwork goes beyond her painting. He is a dancer, plays bass guitar in a cover band, collects records, and makes short films.
In the fall, she will head to NYU to study economics and studio art, with an eye toward the intersection of art and business. He hopes to one day own a gallery.
The five finalists’ artwork will appear on Google’s homepage on April 28. The public can vote for a favorite until April 29, with the overall winner announced on May 12. Kameirah has already received a $10,000 college scholarship and a Chromebook. If he wins the top prize, that total jumps to $55,000, and his school will receive a $50,000 technology package.
Now in its 17th year, Google’s Doodle contest has drawn winners from the Seattle area in the past. Mahee Chandrasekhar, a ninth-grader at Redmond High School, won the Washington State 16th tournament. In 2023, Rebecca Wu, a sixth grader at the International School in Bellevue, was recognized for her artwork.
Judges this year include NBA All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo and 2025 National Teacher of the Year Ashlie Crosson.
