Cierra Johnson is an artist, advocate, and culture worker that has a deep love for her community, specifically the neighborhood of Martindale-Brightwood. Johnson has had active roles in the Quality of Life Plan implementation and in cultural preservation for her community. These positions speak to the depth of commitment Johnson has to the place she calls home and have had a great impact on her life and art.

Circle City Made is inspired by the history of Johnson’s community and her personal experiences living within it. Johnson’s work clearly reflects her love for her neighborhood and the people who create the culture in Martindale-Brightwood, but Circle City Made moves beyond that: “I feel like the work can’t help but reflect the artist,” says Johnson, “It represents my interests, my feelings, and my skill level. All the lectures, education, and hard conversations end up flowing through me as an individual. Circle City Made is less of a portrait and more of a mirror.”

Johnson mixes illustration, painting, and collage with graphic design and photography to construct narratives that amplify the experiences of marginalized people. Her process begins with a base coat of color, then she experiments with found materials that she has collected over the years. She then experiments and intuitively allows the narratives and symbolism to unfold, and Johnson enters a meditative state while creating them.

For Johnson, art is not just a means of self-expression but acts as a catalyst for change. Central to her work is the joy of art and a reverence for the work of people. “I want the audience for this show to walk away thinking about the future; I want them to do the work of having imagination.”

Circle City Made is on view through December in the Underground Gallery.