Born in 2003 in a small town in rural Montana, Johanna Arganbright is a figure painter in Missoula, Montana. Much of her work is centered around intimate and lonesome activities and feelings; she is inspired by the small moments that are not usually focused on and shines a spotlight on them. 

Arganbright’s first love for art was of her grandmother's watercolor paintings in her childhood home, these inspired her to start painting and motivated her to become an artist. Her work has been exhibited in multiple juried art shows at the University of Montana as well as shown in a large-scale exterior exhibition in downtown Missoula, Montana in 2024.

 She is currently pursuing a BFA at the University of Montana with a concentration in painting and double minoring in art history and business administration.

Artist Statement

I have always been drawn to the human experience: the small, quiet moments that often go unnoticed. My work focuses on self-portraiture in mundane, introspective poses that are ordinary at first glance. Through my paintings, I turn inward, seeking to separate the seen from the unseen and depict the invisible mental struggles through surrealist entities interacting with the human form.

Just as we feel a multitude of feelings at any given moment, the surreal beings that appear floating alongside the figure in my work are not representative of one singular emotion. Each piece is sparked by a specific journal entry or life event, often when I am in a place of confusion, frustration, or emotional low points. My artistic process starts with painting the figure. As I work, I uncover aspects of myself that I need to confront or understand to navigate life. The original intention of each piece evolves throughout the process, often diverging from its initial meaning to reveal solutions or ways to help my own mental and emotional state. I add the surrealist entity to the scene intuitively as I work based on how I feel my mental state is impacting how I interact with the world.

The main goal of my work is to connect people through the shared emotional experiences of life and relate to my paintings to feel less alone. Though I have an intense connection with all of my paintings, I intentionally leave the faces of my figures out of frame or obscured. This invites viewers to see themselves in the work, allowing them to project themselves onto the figure. My figures are all myself, but they are simultaneously everyone else. I see the figure in my work much like a mother sees her child; it's not me, but an extension of myself that I hold dear.

 There is beauty in the simple, lonely, moments, I wish to emphasize that with my work and make unspoken connections between people.