2025 Torch Visual Artist: Nitashia Johnson

Nitashia Johnson is a multimedia visual artist and educator from Dallas, Texas whose work has been exhibited across Texas and internationally.

To care about stories is to care about the world, and understanding our own gives us purpose. For as long as she can remember, storytelling through art has been Nitashia Johnson’s way of understanding the world around her and her place within it. As a multidisciplinary artist and educator from Dallas, Texas, her journey since life started has led her through a rich creative education at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Texas Woman’s University, and the Rhode Island School of Design. Now, she works as a Digital Media Specialist while also pursuing work in photojournalism, videography, and education. The belief that art holds the power to transform lives has been at the heart of all the work she does, from founding The Smart Project, a non-profit after-school program for teens in North Texas, to leading creative workshops that help young people discover their unique voices. Over the years, her work has continued to grow and expand into new spaces. The Self Publication Series is a photographic exploration she formed to challenge the stereotypes surrounding the Black community, offering a more nuanced, empowering narrative. Her project, The Beauty of South Dallas, documents the rapid transformation of a historical neighborhood affected by socio-economic shifts, while The Faces That Face works to shine a light on environmental injustices in West Dallas. In Body & Earth, she explores the deep, often overlooked connection between Blackness and the natural world. By using Black muses to embody the elements of Earth, Fire, Water, Air, and Space, she confronts the systemic neglect of both Black communities and the environment. She aims to save lives through art, just as it saved hers.

Beyond The Fire

The Faces that Face

Selections from Black Earth

The Beauty of South Dallas

THE INTERVIEW This interview was conducted between Nitashia Johnson and Jae Nichelle on October 13th, 2025.

Thank you so much for sharing your incredible work with us! I'm so obsessed with the image “Beyond the Fire.” Can you talk about how it came to be?

Beyond the Fire is part of my ongoing series Body and Earth, a project that connects Blackness and nature as a way to advocate for both. I use them symbolically to show how Earth can serve as a source of healing, escape, and meditation, but also to reflect on how industries often exploit natural elements in ways that harm marginalized communities, especially Black communities. I know this firsthand because I grew up in those very environments, witnessing both the beauty and the neglect. This work is my way of reimagining that relationship, aligning Blackness with the natural world rather than opposing it. It challenges the idea of Earth as a destructive force toward Black life and instead positions both as powerful, resilient, and deeply interconnected.

You've had teachers and mentors in Dallas who recognized your abilities and pushed you forward. How do those early influences show up now, both in your art and in how you mentor for The Smart Project? What qualities do you try to carry forward from those mentors?

The teachers, mentors, and even family members who influenced me really changed my life. It was the thought they put into their care for me, the support, the guidance, the intention to make sure I felt seen. That kind of love and attention stuck with me, and it’s a big reason why I do what I do today.

Those early influences shaped how I see the world and why I feel it’s so important to serve young people, which is why I created The Smart Project. I remember how amazing it felt to have people believe in me when I was a kid. That support opened the door to creativity and made me realize what was possible. My mentors and teachers helped water the seed my mom planted. Even though she wasn’t always around, she left a beautiful gift. So now, I try to carry that same energy forward in my art and through the youth I work with. My creative practice is all about inspiring others and leaving messages behind that get people thinking. And even though running a small nonprofit can be challenging, it’s worth it. Passing creativity and support down to the next generation is extraordinary and deeply important to me.

Speaking of Dallas, your project, The Beauty of South Dallas, attempted to capture your community amid the active threat of gentrification. What is your relationship with your hometown now?

The thing is, South Dallas is the very place that changed my life. It’s where I met my first art teacher, the one who inspired me to go to art school, to become a graphic designer, and to see art as a real career path. That all happened at Pearl C. Anderson Junior High School. The school isn’t open anymore, it's been bought by a church, but the impact it had on me will always stay. When I lived in that community, I was going through a lot personally, but I also believe it was all part of my process. It’s amazing how life works and how the same place that first inspired me creatively became the one I returned to years later to document through my photography.

The Beauty of South Dallas began as a three-month project through the Juanita J. Craft House Artist Residency. At first, my goal was simply to document the community. But as I started working, I realized I needed to capture more than just the place; I wanted to show the essence of the people, the soul that makes the land what it is. That’s how the project got its name. With the ongoing changes and gentrification affecting so many communities, I see photography as a way to freeze time to honor the people, their history, and the beauty that’s always been there. My relationship with my hometown now is one of deep respect and purpose. Just like in West Dallas, my mission is to document, to show the beauty, and to reveal the truth that the people are indeed what make these communities so special.

As a child, what were some of your earliest creative inspirations?

For me, there were so many things that inspired me. The sky would inspire me, just seeing the clouds. It could be the way light poured through the window. That would be inspiration.

My step-granddad, whom I call my grandpa because he was such a wise man, once told me to never lose my smile. That was an inspiration. Although my mom was in my life, she served as a huge inspiration too because she introduced me to the power of drawing, using a pencil to make marks and create something visual.

It was the love from a sibling, from my auntie. It was also inspired by fear, the fear of trying things but still doing it anyway. I would even find inspiration in the people I met. That still resides in me today.

I get inspired by everything. I can hear a song and be inspired. I can see someone’s cool shoes or outfit and be inspired. Their aesthetic might spark an idea for a photo shoot. I can see a location and be inspired. I can see and feel something and be inspired. I can look at the ocean and be inspired.

Everything inspires me. When I think about the work I’m doing now with Body and Earth, how I’m aligning and intertwining nature more into my practice, I realize that energy flows through everything we see and consume. I try to take in the right energy to inspire me.

And I love those who inspire me, because that’s the kind of life I want to live, one that’s inspirational, inspiring others while allowing others to inspire me. That, to me, is the beauty of connectivity, of unity, and just being free.

Were there any narratives that came up while you interviewed people for The Self Publication that surprised you?

The self-publication is a combination of community stories where I, you know, capture people from within the American Black community, and I capture their narratives, and I edit them, and I use my design and photography skills to produce a book publication that is self-published.

I would say there were things that tugged at my heart, but that didn't come as a surprise, right? Because we're all different in many ways. Blackness isn't just one thing, but we're all so diverse in our being, but we come together as this collective that shares the same experiences, culture, styles, foods, mannerisms, beauty, and spirit, right?

So, because I'm so intertwined, and I've read history through and through, and I continue to learn, many of the things that I was able to read that highlighted their experiences didn't come as a surprise, but it did remind me of how magical, and just beautiful, and powerful they were to have overcome so many of these things. The words that they wrote were just so magnificent, and inspiration, and an inspiration for me to keep going and working on this. I can't wait to see what's next for this project, because I plan to work on Volume Four. It will be done in a different way, but it's been truly remarkable.

I think the only thing that surprised me was the beauty in their souls, but that wasn't even a surprise at all, because of course they have that.

Your work in photojournalism, design, videography, multimedia, as well as education. How does your artistic approach shift between the different modalities?

How does my approach shift? It's kind of like one area leads into the next, and they all kind of intertwine, which is quite extraordinary. Photojournalism deals with storytelling and utilizing my photography skills, which also helps me build my people skills, right, as far as connecting and being very empathetic when dealing with their stories, while also using the technical skills of photography.

When it relates to design, design is a different way to reveal the story and provide information. You’re laying out information and using a sense of hierarchy, not to say that any piece of information is less important than another, but to use different elements together as a way to deliver the message or tell the story so that it reaches people, and it’s also pleasing to the eye. Design has worked to support The Self Publication, The Beauty of South Dallas, and pretty much all of my projects, including the nonprofit, The Smart Project, because I’m able to design things in a way that will capture the attention of those I’m trying to reach.

When it comes to videography, photography has inspired my eye for composition and storytelling, so I’m able to dive into filmmaking to create things that are poetic, emotional, and cinematically beautiful.

As a multimedia or multidisciplinary artist, I just love to explore, so everything ties into my entire being. It makes up the core of who I am. By doing all of these things, it also pours over into education, because what I learn in the real world is what I teach my students. The same way my grandpa gave me his wisdom and told me to never lose my smile, I relay that same information. What you learn and what you experience in life is what you teach, so I decided to teach wisdom through my creative practice.

I shift between all of them because it brings me joy, and overall, they support the base of my projects in their entirety.

If you had a personal theme song, what would it be?

Oh my gosh, this is so hard. Like, what kind of question is this, haha? No, I mean that in a great way. This is so funny because I don’t know. I think I would say, if I had a theme song overall as an artist… oh, this is hard. I’m so eclectic when it comes to music. Like I mentioned before, I’m inspired by so many things depending on how I’m feeling.

One of the very first songs that inspired me when I was very young was Bittersweet Symphony. The way that buildup happened, I just imagine myself driving down the road with the top down on a sunny day, just feeling free. I thought that was beautiful. That would be my song of choice for just free thoughts.

Another one is Candy Rain by Soul For Real. I really love how that made me feel. Of course, there are so many different genres and music artists that I love. I’m inspired by a little bit of Leon Thomas right now.

But overall, right now, I would say my theme song is this beat I heard called Heartburn by Tenseoh. That song is so cool. It’s such a badass song, a badass beat, and it just makes me feel super dope. Who knows, my theme song might change next week, but nevertheless, it helps me align with the themes I’m putting out into the world.

What a hard question, but a beautiful one, though.

How can people support you right now?

I would love support in inspiring youth through The Smart Project. Any donations would help, and if anyone wants to be a teaching artist or a source of inspiration for the youth, that would be amazing as well.

Also, helping to spread the word about my series The Self Publication, The Power of Black Stories, would be incredible. Whether that’s aligning with a publisher or helping reach a wider audience to share these stories with the world, any support there would be beautiful.

Following my creative journey is another way to support me. I’m really expanding on Body and Earth, and I’m working on a subcategory of that project called Black Earth: The Story of Jai, which is extraordinary and beautiful. I can’t wait to share it with the world. It’s a slow buildup, but I believe that anything truly meaningful and deep takes time.

I’m also working on a short film with an amazing team of women, and you can see more of that on my social media. You can sign up for my email list by sending me a note at info@nitashiajohnsn.com. That way, you can stay in the loop about what I’m creating, what I’m working on, and how you can support. And it’s also about reciprocity. I love finding ways to collaborate and support others because I believe a community stays full by pouring back and forth into each other’s cups.

Name another Black woman artist people should know. 

One would be Myca Williamson (Creative Director), and Vanessa Meshack (printmaking/painter/educator). They're really great artists. I would also like to recommend Lisa Ford (Creative Director / Filmmaker / Designer). Lisa is phenomenal. Myca is golden. Vanessa is an angel. Just brilliant. They are all beautiful, strong women. I would also love to support my Lil Big Sister (NJ), who I love so much and is a great poet.

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