Artist Series: Tonika Lewis Johnson

Tonika Lewis Johnson is a social justice artist and photographer whose work examines the impact of systemic disinvestment and racial segregation in urban communities. Her acclaimed Folded Map Project pairs Black and White residents from corresponding North and South Side addresses to reveal both the disparities and shared humanity within the city’s grid. Johnson’s projects—including Inequity for Sale and UnBlocked Englewood—use public art and storytelling to illuminate entrenched socioeconomic divides while building community-driven pathways toward repair.