Biography

Well fed, Michael Jackson fan, nail-biter, bicyclist, 5ft 3in, intermediate guitar player, colouring pencil connoisseur, cat person, green-thumbed.

Born in 1984 in Melbourne, Australia, Emma Johnson moved to England in 1992 and grew up in Suffolk.

In 2004 she studied a BA in Fine Art: Sculpture at Wimbledon College of Art, London.

After graduating in 2007 she spent time living and travelling in Australia and Europe.

Johnson endeavours to create light-hearted, fun, and colourful work which inspires smiles from those encountering it.

Since the mid-2000’s, Johnson has explored the concept of community by creating collaborative projects that engage, educate and inspire. She works with diverse groups of all ages, abilities and interests.

“It always starts with an idea, and I use whatever medium it takes to bring that to life. It might be a large sculpture, an ephemeral installation, a hand-drawn animation, a radio show, painting, video… there are no limitations,” says Johnson.

This exploration of community became an important motivation for Johnson after a meeting with London-based artist Ben Wilson. Wilson lies on the pavement painting on flattened blobs of discarded chewing gum.

“He’s been doing it for years and takes requests,” says Johnson. “It is the most amazing way of connecting the community. He never went out to be altruistic; he does it because he gets so much from it. He sees life from ground level, and although you could think him completely barmy, I reckon he’s one of the sanest people I have ever met.”

In 2010, Johnson became involved with community radio in Australia, co-hosting the weekly arts show ‘The Hills Hoist!!’ on 3MDR Mountain District Radio 97.1fm, based in the Dandenong Ranges east of Melbourne.

While continuing her work as a professional artist, Johnson took on the role of Community Access & Sponsorship Coordinator at the station and developed a career in community media, winning three awards from the Community Broadcasting Association Australia in 2013 and 2014.

After a little while freelancing and living a digital nomad lifestyle, Johnson applied to the Teach First Leadership Development Programme and has since become a qualified primary school teacher. Addressing educational inequality in the part of the world where she grew up has now become a strong motivational force.

To say hello and/or for bookings, commissions, sales and collaborations please do contact me

contact

emma@emmajohnson.net

Professional Projects:

2016

 • Podcast series producer. Trekking in Nepal: Your Adventure Guide. A Zero to Travel podcast series. A 16-part audio guidary (part guide, part diary) taking you along a trek in Nepal.

• Website design for GrandmaAlchemysKitchen.com

• Product design and filming for Grandma Alchemy’s Kitchen Paleo Cooking & Demonstrations video course

2015 

 • WWOOF Hosting in the UK – The One Minute Series. I produced these shorts for the WWOOF UK youtube channel to focus on the hosts experience of the WWOOFing exchange.

• Website, social media and promotion design for Bradford-on-Avon Community Agriculture Cooperative, including a promotional video

• Website, social media, youtube channel manager and mailing list design for musician Dan Licht

• Promotional music videos for Dan Licht, including an animation for The Boat That We Built

• YouTube channel manager for WWOOF UK

2014    

• Community Access & Sponsorship at 3MDR Mountain District Radio

• Part of the Belgrave Lantern Parade team of artists

• Producer & Presenter of Community Outlook on 3MDR 97.1fm, Saturdays 1pm to 2pm

2013      

• Community Access Coordinator at 3MDR Mountain District Radio

• Hills In Colour, a curated colouring-in set and artist run initiative by Emma Johnson & Shelley Krycer (Just Add Colour)

• Part of the Belgrave Lantern Parade team of artists

• Work for Maroondah Shire Council on two 4 week youth art projects – mentoring in spray paint art and painting with acrylics on canvas

•  Collective Conciousness @ End of the Line Festival, Blacksmiths Way, Belgrave, AUS

• A Mountain of Sound 2013, released by 3MDR 97.1fm. (Project manager, layout design)

• Community Broadcasting Association Victoria commitee member

2012    

• Marketing & Sponsorship Manager at 3MDR Mountain District Radio 97.1fm

• The Hills Hoist!! Airing all the arts news from our forest covered mountain on 3MDR mountian district radio 97.1fm Fridays 1pm – 3 with your charming, well dressed and knowledgable show presenters Emma, Lachlan & Tim

•  Collective Conciousness @ End of the Line Festival, Blacksmiths Way, Belgrave, AUS

• Belgrave Lantern Parade, our community winter solstice celebrations – Official artist and workshop leader

• Art tutor at Emerald Community House, VIC

• Illustrations for VEA educational film “Australian Migration”

• Working with a group of young artists from Upwey High School to create a mural for Belgrave

• Community Broadcasting Association Victoria commitee member

• A Mountain of Sound 2012, released by 3MDR 97.1fm. (Project manager, layout design)

• Artwork for music album “A Mountain of Sound 2012” released by 3MDR 97.1fm

2011      

• Marketing & Sponsorship Manager at 3MDR Mountain District Radio 97.1fm

• 3MDR97.1fm new website content design and project management, AUS

• 3MDR 97.1fm website graphics, AUS

• The Hills Hoist!! Airing all the arts news from our forest covered mountain on 3MDR mountian district radio 97.1fm Fridays 1pm – 3 with your charming, well dressed and knowledgable show presenters, Captin Emma and Jedi Jenny

• Belgrave Lantern Parade, our community winter solstice celebrations

• Art tutor at Emerald Community House, VIC

• Illustrations for a childrens activity book based on Dinosaurs

• The Hills Hoist!! monthly zine

• Community Broadcasting Association Victoria commitee member / Treasurer

• Content, design and construction of a new Community Broadcasting Association Victoria website + social media

• published in hoodie magaZine – learn to dance like john travlota with melanie chicken

2010      

• The Hills Hoist!! Airing all the arts news from our forest covered mountain on 3MDR mountian district radio 97.1fm Fridays 1pm – 3 with your charming, well dressed and knowledgable show presenters, Captin Emma and Jedi Jenny

• Belgrave Lantern Parade, our community winter solstice celebrations – workshop leader

• Marketing & Sponsorship Manager at 3MDR Mountain District Radio 97.1fm

•  Colouring for Kids, Arts Classes for kids aged 11 to 14 @ Sherbrooke Arts Society, Belgrave, AUS

• Youth week projects with Interchange Outer East

2009      

• Design work for musician Alex Legg’s new album – Best Laid Plans of Chocolate Mice

2007    

• Sculpture technician for Mike Smith’s Studio, Old Street, London working on Tania Kovat’s sculpture installation ‘Root’, installed at Shadwell DLR Station – modusoperandi-art.com/projects/dlr_root/

Solo Exhibitions:

• drawings, The General Food Store, Emerald, Victoria AUS. 2013.   

• learn to dance like john travolta with melanie chicken, InkLeNation Gallery Tattoo, Belgrave AUS. 2012.

• it’s more than just jelly babies, The Green Bean Cafe, Belgrave AUS. 2010.

• another dead possum, Jarmbi Gallery at Burrinja, Upwey, AUS. 2009.

• Dandenong Ranges Open Studios, from my Basement Studio, Burrinja, Upwey, AUS. 2009.

• when you go round a corner and fall into a bin,  in the stairwell, The Foundry, Old Street, London. 2008.

Group Exhibitions:

•  Hills in Colour, A curated colouring-in set, AUS. 2013.

• Collective Conciousness @ End of the Line Festival, Blacksmiths Way, Belgrave, AUS. 2013.

•  Tension, Dandenong Ranges Open Studios, Burrinja, Upwey, VIC, AUS. 2013.

• Dandenong Ranges Open Studios , Burrinja, Upwey, VIC, AUS. 2012.

• Collective Conciousness @ End of the Line Festival, Blacksmiths Way, Belgrave, AUS. 2012.

•  Limerence, Limerence Gallery, Belgrave, VIC, AUS. 2012.

• Demolition 2009AD: A Space Odyssey. A Supernova Weekend Community Arts Festival Bonanza!!!, The Multi-purpose room at Burrinja, Upwey, AUS (Curator, Promoter, Project Captain and Art Director). 2009.

• Creative Chaos Spring Festival, Burrinja Perfomance Space, Upwey, AUS . 2009.

• Art/Music, London, UK. 2009.

• Regenerate, Burrinja, Upwey. Australia. 2009.

• The Bohemian Masquerade Ball, Melbourne. Australia. 2009.

• Rainbow Serpent Festival, Beaufort, Victoria. Australia. 2009.

•  Ten Years, Burrinja, Upwey. Australia. 2008.

• The Secret Garden Party ’07, Cambridge. UK. 2007.

• Art on the Green, Cavendish Village Green, Suffolk. UK. 2007.

• Sculpture Degree Show, Wimbledon College of Art. UK. 2007.

• Shoes Without Laces, Wimbledon College of Art (selected and curated by Soraya Rodrigez). UK. 2007.

• CurvAcube, Wimbledon College of Art (curated, promoted and exhibited in). UK. 2007.

• come Kande, a flat in Ealing, (curated, promoted and exhibited in). UK. 2006.

• Fumar Topless, The Foundry, Old Street (curated, promoted and exbibited in). UK. 2006.

• Park ’06, Cannizaro Park, Wimbledon (selected and curated by Peter Fillingham and Katie Hallet). UK. 2006.

• 42 Weather Balloons, Nolia’s Gallery, Old Kent Road. UK. 2006.

• Zanzibar Arcade, Trinity Buoy Wharf, East London (curated, promoted and exhibited in). UK. 2006.

•  Remember the First Time, Wimbledon College of Art. UK. 2006.

Residencies:

2010  Interchange Outer East, Ferntree Gully, VIC

2009  Artist in Residence December 2008 – November 2009, at Burrinja, Upwey, AUS