Chris Johanson

Chris Johanson is a contemporary American painter and street artist known for his graffiti art and playful, cartoon-like style.

Biography of Chris Johanson

Chris Johanson was born in 1968 in suburban San Jose, California. Despite having no formal training in art, he acquired some techniques by painting skateboards and houses. 

In 1989, Johanson moved to San Francisco, immersing himself in the local art community known as the Mission School. This artistic movement aimed to portray urban realism and convey social commentary through graffiti. Between 1989 and 1992, Johanson attended City College of San Francisco.

In 1994, Johanson collaborated with Anti-Hero, a San Francisco-based skateboard brand, to create one of the first board graphic runs. This partnership significantly expanded his art's reach, introducing it to a broader audience.

Johanson gained international recognition after his participation in the 2002 Whitney Biennial exhibition. The following year, he was honored as one of the winners of the SECA Art Award by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, further solidifying his acclaim in the art world. 

Currently, the artist resides and works in Los Angeles, California.

Chris Johanson's Art Style

Johanson's artistic creations, which revolve around expressing urban themes through the utilization of found and recycled materials alongside graffiti, serve as a response to his suburban childhood. He has created several site installations and prefers to work in this medium.

Johanson is widely recognized for his graffiti art, known for its distinct and playful, cartoon-like style. This unique artistic approach has become a defining characteristic of his work, capturing the attention and appreciation of art enthusiasts worldwide.

Exhibitions of Chris Johanson

Works of Chris Johanson have been featured in many solo and group exhibitions. Some of the most significant solo exhibitions include Pictures and Words, Emmanuel Radnitzky Found Objects, San Francisco, USA (1990), The Ourselves Festival, Alleged Fine Arts, New York, USA (2000), I Am in this Weird Area Now, Galleri Nicolai Wallner, Copenhagen, Denmark (2006),  Chris Johanson – Jean Dubuffet, Baronian Francey, Brussels, Belgium (2009), Chris Johanson and Joanna Jackson, Fleisher/Ollman Gallery, Philadelphia, USA (2015), Unknow Know With What Is, And, Mitchell-Innes & Nash, NYC, USA (2021), and many others. 

Notable group shows of Johanson's artworks include Combine Effort, Figure 5, San Francisco, USA (1994), Tropical Sunrise, Poker Face, Portland, USA (1996), Me, Myself and I, Timothy Higbee Gallery, San Francisco, USA (1997),  Liste 2000, Basel, Switzerland (2000), 2002 Whitney Biennial, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, USA (catalogue), Whatevers whatever, The Hydra School Project, Hydra, Greece (2008), Words, Words, Words, Elizabeth Leach Gallery, Portland, USA (2015), MIMA Museum Reload, Mima, Brussels, Belgium (2015), and many more.