Bio Written by 

Simone Obendoerfer

Josiah Koppanyi was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba and began drawing with his father as a child when he was fascinated and inspired by the illustrations of Richard Scarry. Josiah discovered painting while in high school but did not commit to pursuing a career in art until 2016. At the time, he was enrolled in the Faculty of Education at the University of Winnipeg, but struggled to fit into the academic sphere, partially due to his diagnosis of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). He now believes his neurodiversity played a major role in his stylistic development and the way he is able to view minutia in everyday life and landscapes. Josiah is a self-taught artist who developed his personal style by emulating artists that he admired such as Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat. He played with combinations of various forms of art for years until he discovered his own personal style, which is rooted in pop art and cubism but takes on a playful and stylized illustrative lens. Although his subject matter is varied, Josiah’s most popular works are of local urban landscapes that challenge the conventions of traditional planes to create whimsical, detail-oriented pieces. Josiah’s career in art began to flourish in 2016 at his very first exhibition at ARTlington Studios in Winnipeg, where he sold 16 pieces over the course of two days. During the same year he collaborated in two pop up shows and began to make a name for himself in Winnipeg’s art community. That same year he was contracted for his first commission: A 4’ x 8’ acrylic on canvas piece titled The City of Brunker. He was given free reign of the subject matter, creating the large fictional city scape in one month. He was extremely invested in the piece, overusing his medication to push himself to complete it within the promised deadline. This resulted in muscular damage to his right arm, and a loss of his ability to perform any fine motor work. Due to his injury, Josiah took an extended break from art, spending his free time partying and taking a variety of drugs. It was during this time that painting became straining, and he began to realize that he had done irreparable damage to his right arm. His addictions spiraled to the point where he was losing money, friends, and his business. Josiah credits his recovery to his relationship with Jesus Christ who, at his lowest point, spoke to him about the beauty that he was missing in the world. Since then, Josiah has been clean of all drugs and has learned to love himself and become inspired without medication. He also learned to become ambidextrous and now paints with his left hand. Josiah has earned most of his income through art exhibitions where he sells both original paintings and prints. He has garnered a large local following of supporters and enthusiasts, and through the pandemic and to this day he has been able to support himself through commissions and private sales. Josiah has completed several murals and other forms of public art. Notably he was contracted by the Osborne Village Biz and the Winnipeg Architecture Foundation for public displays in Osborne Village and the Exchange District. You can find his works in windows, on walls, and even on electric boxes in Winnipeg’s most noteworthy neighborhoods. Josiah’s work is celebrated locally, and his next step is pursuing national recognition.