Johanna Tordjman
Born in 1990 in the Parisian suburbs, Johanna Tordjman discovered her passion for drawing at an early age. After studying visual communication and building a career as an art director, she turned to painting at the age of 25, finding in it a language to explore the fractures of the world.
In 2016, she showcased her first works in Paris, followed by exhibitions at Art Basel Miami, Hong Kong, and Basel. In 2021, she unveiled 25h01, a series of portraits narrating stories of exile through symbolic objects, inspired by her grandmother’s journey from Algeria to Marseille.
In 2019, she gained recognition with Pastèques & Paraboles, a series of exhibitions exploring fictional and identity-based narratives. That same year, Vanity Fair named her among the “30 Under 30 Shaping the Future of France.”
In 2025, Johanna presents Octobre 61, a tribute to the waves of migration that have shaped France, featuring thirty portraits inspired by migrants’ identity photographs. Rooted in the story of her grandparents’ arrival in France in 1961, this project celebrates the exile journeys of families from Senegal, Cameroon, Peru, Poland, and beyond.
Through her work, Johanna Tordjman delves into individual and collective memories, celebrating the faces and stories that form the fabric of our society. Her art explores themes of identity and intergenerational connections. With a sensitive and personal approach, she uses painting to tell universal stories, often drawing inspiration from her own family archives.Johanna Tordjman: An Artist of Memory and Faces
Born in 1990 in the Parisian suburbs, Johanna Tordjman discovered her passion for drawing at an early age. After studying visual communication and building a career as an art director, she turned to painting at the age of 25,
finding in it a language to explore the fractures of the world.
In 2016, she showcased her first works in Paris, followed by exhibitions at Art Basel Miami, Hong Kong, and Basel. In 2021, she unveiled 25h01, a series of portraits narrating stories of exile through symbolic objects, inspired by her grandmother’s journey from Algeria to Marseille.
In 2019, she gained recognition with Pastèques & Paraboles, a series of exhibitions exploring fictional and identity-based narratives. That same year, Vanity Fair named her among the “30 Under 30 Shaping the Future of France.”
In 2025, Johanna presents Octobre 61, a tribute to the waves of migration that have shaped France, featuring thirty portraits inspired by migrants’ identity photographs. Rooted in the story of her grandparents’ arrival in France in 1961, this project celebrates the exile journeys of families from Senegal, Cameroon, Peru, Poland, and beyond.
Through her work, Johanna Tordjman delves into individual and collective memories, celebrating the faces and stories that form the fabric of our society. Her art explores themes of identity and intergenerational connections. With a sensitive and personal approach, she uses painting to tell universal stories, often drawing inspiration from her own family archives.
