Born in 1950 in Montreal Canada, Johanan Herson was initiated into art at an early age. At the age of eight he won a prestigious award for children's art, and was marked as a promising talent. Johanan also studied ballet, and worked extensively as an actor, performing a leading role in a television soap opera for five consecutive seasons. He has also appeared in feature films and documentaries, television dramas and theater.

In 1967, he came to Israel to study at the Bezal'el Art Academy in Jerusalem, and then continued studies in fine arts at the Concordia University, Monteal, majoring in drama. Over the past two decades Herson has also worked extensively painting in "Soft Art", a technique he mastered while working with the famous Israeli artist, Calman Shemi, a pioneer in this unusual art media.

Many of his larger pieces were commissioned by various public and private institutions; the Tel Aviv University and the Jerusalem Journalist Hall, Bank Mizrachi (37 Branches) Savionei Hagan, Tel Aviv, Africa-Israel Corp., Ramat Gan Theater. Conservatory Or Yehuda, and the Diamond Center in Tel Aviv.