Ani Johnson

Ani Johnson Member Feature

Ani Johnson is an emerging printmedia artist, specializing in etching and monotype. Originally from Boston, they now live and work in Chicago after earning a BFA in Fine Arts from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2025.

Ani sees much of their work as an ode to printmedia through which they navigate their lived experience and relationship with the spaces in which they exist. In each piece, Ani attempts to embrace the qualities of printmaking that cannot be controlled, these qualities require the anticipation of uncertainty, which they believe encourages the use of intuition. This allows their observational work to access a truer experience of a space. Each piece is a practice of relinquishing control and leaving it up to chance, which, in turn, makes theirs – a practice of acceptance.

Etching Presses, etching on Rives BFK, 22″ x 28″, 2024

How long have you been at CPC? 

Since summer of 2025, so almost a year now!

What’s your favorite type of printmaking?

It’s a definite tie between etching and monotype.

Why do you make art?

I have always made art. There is nothing I enjoy more. I think I was just born with an innate drive to create, and it makes me feel alive more than anything else. Art makes me fall in love with life.

What other media do you enjoy working in?

My foundation is in painting and drawing and they will always have a special place in my heart. They are a place to come back to when I need to find myself again as an artist. For me, drawing is where art is born. You might even say etching and monotype are just drawing and painting translated into print. I have a deep love and appreciation for the elemental line of pencil on paper.

What direction are you planning to go in the coming year with your work?

I think I want to find a way to harness the idea of chance within printmedia in a more direct way.

What book are you reading currently?

I recently finished reading Piranesi. Would recommend!

What is your favorite non-art distraction?

I love going to see live music.

Who are 3 artists (dead or alive) that inspire you?

Joel Janowitz, Cameron Barker, Masako Kamiya

Who is your favorite printmaker?

Michael Mazur

What was the last gift you gave someone?

I gave my best friend an adventure time card game for their birthday.

What’s your favorite thing about CPC?

I love the kitchen, it’s such a cute homey space, and really contributes to the warm and comfortable vibe of the studio!

You can contact Ani for more information by visiting their website and Instagram. Read other Member Spotlight interviews here.

Studio Monotype 5, monotype on Rives BFK, 24″ x 30″, 2025

Grid, etching with surface roll on Rives BFK, 30″ x 36″, 2024