Nerys Johnson
Nerys Johnson was an artist and curator known for her paintings of landscapes and exuberantly coloured flowers and foliage. Raised in Nottinghamshire, she moved to the North East to study Fine Art at Durham University in 1961. She held positions as Keeper of Fine Art at the Laing Gallery in Newcastle (1967–70) and Keeper of Durham’s Light Infantry Museum and Arts Centre (DLI) (1970–89). Moments of Being: A touring exhibition from the Southbank Centre (1988), curated by Johnson, featured a selection of artworks accompanied by her own sketches to help audiences explore historical art through contemporary visual response. Johnson eventually retired from the museum sector in order to pursue her own art practice. Diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis during infancy, her artworks became increasingly smaller over the course of her career, reflecting her experience of living with chronic illness. Johnson employed assistants to help mix paints and prepare materials, reconfiguring her disability into an opportunity to teach and collaborate with local students. Johnson gave instructions that, following her death, her artworks be sold and the proceeds used to help public galleries acquire paintings by living artists. The charity ‘Nerys Johnson Contemporary Art Fund’, was established for this purpose.
