From April 19th to 21st, 2024, Johanna Tordjman presents her new exhibition “Americana  » at the Galerie Au Roi in Paris, showcasing her portraits of an often overlooked America. Traveling from Los Angeles to New York, she has encountered locally engaged individuals, unveiling a distinct facet of the United States, contrasting with the typical representations conveyed by mainstream media.

Johanna Tordjman is a French artist based in Paris.  She began painting at the age of 25, finding there her mode of expression on the world whose fractures worry her. She presented her first works in Paris in early 2016, and inaugurated a solo exhibition in Los Angeles the same year.

During her journey from Los Angeles to New York traversing the Southern states, Johanna Tordjman encounters various communities, including the Compton Cowboys, and the Navajos in Arizona, she gathers their stories through audio and video recordings, as well as photographs. Back in Paris, she creates portraits inspired by these photos while recalling their stories, considering her works as the result of a collaboration where she becomes a messenger herself.

The « Americana » exhibition unveils 16 dynamic portraits, vibrant with life and colors, often inviting the viewer to get up close to the characters to capture their essence without any barriers. Each portrait tells a story, illuminated by the words of the protagonists conveyed in a short documentary video or simply written. « Americana » thus offers a vision and an understanding of individuals who, by investing in their community, strive to make the world fairer, and more joyful.

Johanna Tordjman’s “Americana” exhibition serves as a poignant reminder of the richness and diversity of America, beyond the stereotypes and mainstream narratives, showcasing the resilience and beauty of communities often sidelined.

From April 19th, to April 21, 2024 (11am – 7pm)

Galerie au Roi

Address: 75 rue de la Fontaine au Roi, 75011 Paris France.