Tim Johnson

  • Originally from Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK, Tim is based on the Mediterranean coast of
    Catalonia, Spain. Tim Johnson is a highly experienced basket maker and artist and has
    received several awards for his work in Spain and Poland. Johnson’s work also appears in
    numerous international institutions, including the Museu de La Pauma, Mas de Barberans,
    Catalonia; New England Regional Art Museum, NSW, Australia; the Arts Council of Northern
    Ireland and the Wicker and Hop Museum, Poland. Selected shows include: East Weaves
    West: Basketry from Japan and Britain, 2007; Lines and Fragments, Crafts Study Centre,
    Farnham, 2019 and the touring exhibition: Basketry: Rescuing, Reviving, Retaining curated
    by Gregory Parsons, in 2024.

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    Johnson harvests a variety of plants from his local environment in Catalonia and the work he
    makes during his research trips to Orkney, Shetland, the Outer Hebrides and further afield
    incorporate local materials rooting the work in these distinctive landscapes. The artist’s
    practice is underpinned by an attentive exploration of basketry techniques; via his research,
    weaving gestures are understood within craft lineage. Focuses include soft material
    techniques such as Neolithic braiding, twining and flexible structures such as camel looping
    and knotted netting. Such deep material research generates intricate and complex objects
    that preserve and develop technique. Embedded in Johnson’s practice is a pedagogical
    approach as he continuously engages with international workshops and residencies. In so
    doing, basketry is rendered as transferable and mutable, a medium shaped by the past, yet
    flourishing in the present.

  • Works
  • Exhibitions