Sebastien Johnson

Chicago, Illinois

Through abstract gestural mark-making, academic technique and graffiti, Sebastien creates unique replicas of historical paintings. In doing so, he gives history’s most praised paintings a new context and narrative to exist. His work carefully balances the tension between raw abstraction and academic representation. A clash that can be both unsettling and beautiful.

Sebastien Johnson is an American-French painter based out of Chicago, Il.

He has formally studied Painting, Graphic Design, and Art History at: the New York Academy of Art, Marchutz School of Fine Arts (Aix-En-Provence, France), and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Additionally, he has been an artist-in-residence at L'Atelier Cail (St. Etienne, France) and Motorola Solutions.

Notes Sebastien “As purposeless as art is, I have come to believe that it is the only thing that actually matters at the end of the day. To me, art is anything done with honesty. A moment of vulnerability and an outlet to have a voice, even if that voice is not understood by many”.