Artist

Johnson, Charmian

Title

not titled (1)

Technique

ink

graphite

Date

1991

Dimensions

76.8 height x 55.8 width

Type

print

Accession Number

2020.9.1

Collection

Permanent Collection

Born in Pouce Coupe, BC, in 1939, Charmian attended Delta High School in Ladner and later the University of British Columbia. In the 1960s, she taught elementary and secondary school. She attended graduate studies at the Faculty of Education at UBC, where she studied with Glenn Lewis. She taught for one year at the University of Saskatchewan and in the Faculty of Education at UBC from 1971 to 1977, at which time she left to pursue “a potter’s life.” She augmented her education with travels to Britain, Turkey, France, Morocco and Malaysia, interacting with local artists and viewing international ceramics collections. Johnson began exhibiting her work in 1979. She primarily worked in the medium of ceramics and also worked with ink on paper drawings and painting. Having apprenticed with Glenn Lewis and Mick Henry during her graduate studies at UBC, her work is directly tied to their philosophies and linked to Bernard Leach and Japanese Pottery. Johnson went to St. Ives in 1978 where she researched, photographed, and catalogued the diverse collection at Leach Pottery. Her work was also influenced by Korean and Chinese ceramics, especially the glazing used in the Ming, Ying and Sung dynasties. In 1985 "An Exhibition of Bowls" was shown at The UBC Fine Arts Gallery in Vancouver, BC. In 1987 she had a show at the Terra Cotta Gallery in Vancouver, BC titled "The Gargoyle Factory Does Not Often Appear." This exhibition showcased her conceptual exploration of gargoyles. In 1989 her exhibition "Flora: Drawings by Charmian Johnson" was held at the Vancouver Art Gallery in Vancouver, BC. Johnson later showcased more of her drawings in 2018 in a group exhibition. Her last solo show was in 2002. "Temoku: Iron Rich Glazes in Canadian Use" was exhibited at the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery in Waterloo, Ontario.