Tonika Johnson

Tonika Johnson is a social justice artist and photographer. In 2010, she co-founded Resident Association of Greater Englewood (RAGE), whose mission is to “mobilize people and resources to force positive change in Englewood through solution-based approaches." Her work has been featured in galleries accross the city, and Chicago Magazine named her a 2017 Chicagoan of the Year. Her current ongoing project, Folded Map, visually investigates disparities among Chicago residents while bringing them together to have a conversation. The project transformed into an advocacy and policy-influencing tool that invites audiences to open a dialogue and question how we are all socially impacted by racial and institutional conditions that segregate the city. In 2019, she was named one of Field Foundation’s Leaders for a New Chicago, and she was appointed as a member of the Cultural Advisory Council of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events by the Chicago City Council.