Janessa Marie Johnson (b. 1992 St. Louis MO) grew up knowing the power that art contains. Throughout her academic career, she has made many achievements and used herself as a guide to understand her place in the world as a young African American woman. Returning to school after a six-year hiatus, Janessa returned with full intent to change the trajectory of her life and to encourage young and gifted women that they can do the same. The fine arts student found much success.
She was selected for the Oxbow artists' residency in 2019, Representing the Saint Louis college’s art department at the 23rd annual “Varsity Art” exhibition. This Exhibition featured artworks by undergrad & grad level art students representing 18 area colleges & universities.  

In fall 2019, Janessa was the recipient of the Elizabeth Gray Danforth Scholarship at Washington University, a full, renewable scholarship as a fine arts major where she continues to excel academically and artistically.
Janessa works from an intimate perspective of who is as well as searching for her universal connection as a black woman in the world. From being a mother and lover, both nurturing and sexual, as well as confronting negative systematic body images of black women, she utilizes this dual nature of womanhood and questions of beauty to manifest what speaks to her. Her work pushing the cultural boundaries of comfort with the use of the vulva and sexual subject matter and she works boldly and directly with the themes of feminine power.
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