Ink on paper

30 x 22 x 2

Courtesy of the Artist and Sarah Shepard Gallery

Working only in natural light from her Bay Area studio, Marta Elise Johansen meticulously draws with one pen at a time, one line at a time, one drawing at a time – never overlapping – until a drawing is complete. Johansen attempts to establish order out of impression, pacify chaotic urges, and sublimate emotion through process. She believes in the importance of craft and abstraction.

Born in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Marta Elise Johansen studied at the University of Southern California’s School of Architecture and has taught art and design at the California Polytechnic Institute and the University of Southern California. Rooted in a strong work ethic, formal discipline, and technical skill, Johansen's practice is driven by her diverse upbringing. Her mother, an American textile designer and consultant for the United Nations, met her father, a Norwegian engineer who designed railway systems in Asia, while working in Pakistan. This international background shaped Johansen's childhood, which began in Pakistan and continued in Vermont after her family moved there when she was five. Surrounded by her parents' international circle of friends, including those from the Black Mountain College scene, Johansen developed an early appreciation for cultural arts.

Artist Website
@martaelisejohansen