Artist Bio

(Bio as of March 2025)

Tonika Lewis Johnson is synonymous with bold, transformative art that inspires fresh, critical thinking about Chicago’s history and future. The social justice artist rose to acclaim with her Folded Map Project, which visualized and explored Chicago’s legacy of segregation by introducing residents who live on the same street but 15 miles apart in racially and economically different neighborhoods, calling them “map twins.” She is currently spearheading UnBlocked Englewood, an ambitious effort to rehabilitate an entire block in her home neighborhood, which was harmed by predatory, racist housing practices of the 1950s and ’60s.

A 2024 Gordon Parks Foundation Fellow, Tonika opened her first solo exhibit on February 26 at their gallery in New York. She also released her first book, Don’t Go: Stories of Segregation and How to Disrupt It, co-written with Dr. Maria Krysan. The book reveals how generations of Chicagoans have perpetuated fears about the city’s South and West sides by sharing essays of everyday Chicagoans—those who ignored warnings to stay away from “don’t go” neighborhoods and those who live in these very same neighborhoods—exploring the deeply racist roots of these narratives and their ongoing impact.