Ezra Johnson was born in 1975 in Wenatchee, Washington. He received an MFA in painting from Hunter College, New York, in 2006 after earning a BFA in painting from the California College of Arts and Craft, San Francisco, in 2000. Johnson's animations are based on his practice as an oil painter; each frame in his films is taken from a canvas and collage elements that are continuously repainted as the narrative progresses.

With heavy brushstrokes and lush colors, Johnson's work firmly roots itself in the realm of figurative painting. Johnson's work has been shown at the Hammer Museum; the 55th International Short Film Festival in Oberhausen, Germany; and numerous galleries in the U.S. and Italy.