Nerys Ann Johnson (5 October 1942 – 12 June 2001) was a Welsh artist and art curator.

Early life and education

Johnson was born at

Colwyn Bay Colwyn Bay ( cy, Bae Colwyn) is a town, community and seaside resort in Conwy County Borough on the north coast of Wales overlooking the Irish Sea. It lies within the historic county of Denbighshire. Eight neighbouring communities are incorpo ...

Denbighshire Denbighshire ( ; cy, Sir Ddinbych; ) is a county in the north-east of Wales. Its borders differ from the historic county of the same name. This part of Wales contains the country's oldest known evidence of habitation – Pontnewydd (Bontnewy ...

, and raised in

Mansfield, Nottinghamshire Mansfield is a market town and the administrative centre of Mansfield District in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the largest town in the wider Mansfield Urban Area (followed by Sutton-in-Ashfield). It gained the Royal Charter of a market town ...

, the daughter of Howard and May Johnson. She spent much of her childhood in the hospital with complications from

rheumatoid arthritis Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a long-term autoimmune disorder that primarily affects joints. It typically results in warm, swollen, and painful joints. Pain and stiffness often worsen following rest. Most commonly, the wrist and hands are involv ...

, a lifelong condition. She studied painting and art history at Kings College,

Durham University , mottoeng = Her foundations are upon the holy hills (Psalm 87:1) , established = (university status) , type = Public , academic_staff = 1,830 (2020) , administrative_staff = 2,640 (2018/19) , chancellor = Sir Thomas Allen , vice_chan ...

.David Buckman
"Nerys Johnson"
''The Independent'' (29 August 2001).

Career

Johnson was Keeper of Fine Arts the

Laing Art Gallery The Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, is located on New Bridge Street West. The gallery was designed in the Baroque style with Art Nouveau elements by architects Cackett & Burns Dick and is now a Grade II listed building. It ...

Newcastle-upon-Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is als ...

from 1967, and "keeper in charge" at the

Durham Light Infantry The Durham Light Infantry (DLI) was a light infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 to 1968. It was formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 68th (Durham) Regiment of Foot (Light Infantry) and t ...

Museum and Arts Centre from 1970 to 1989. In both sites, she curated exhibitions that critic

Julian Spalding Julian Spalding (born 15 June 1947 in Lewisham, South London) is an English art critic, writer, broadcaster and a former curator. Considered to be a controversial maverick and outspoken critic of the art world, he has frequently contributed to ar ...

recalled as "fresh and original."Julian Spalding
"Nerys Johnson: Artist Whose Work Defeated her Disability"
''The Guardian'' (4 July 2001). In retirement after 1989, she concentrated on her own art, often with very colorful floral subjects, and had several solo exhibitions.Kate Evans
"A Passion for Painting"
''Artists & Illustrators'' (March 2000): 14-16. Johnson's arthritis affected her art. As her impairment progressed, she painted on smaller canvases, to accommodate her reduced range of motion. "I am appalled when people see my painting as a hobby, and comment how relaxing it must be," she explained in 2000. "If they just knew how it takes every ounce of energy I've got, every atom of concentration." She died in 2001, age 58. The Nerys Johnson Contemporary Art Fund is supported by the sale of her works, and makes grants to public galleries to purchase work by living artists. In 2011, the

National Museum of Wales National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

opened an exhibit of Johnson's works, to mark the tenth anniversary of her death. Another posthumous show was mounted in 2014, at the Martin Tinney Gallery in Cardiff.Julian Spalding
"Art: Nerys Johnson"
''Wall Street Journal International'' (February 2014).

References

External links

Nerys Johnson's official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Nerys 1942 births 2001 deaths 20th-century Welsh women artists People from Colwyn Bay Museum people Alumni of King's College, Newcastle