Christine Johnson was born in 1959 in Melbourne, Victoria. She comes from a family of artists, including her paternal grandfather who was a photographer. Johnson graduated from Caulfield Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Victoria in 1979 with a Diploma of Fine Art. She went on to study at RMIT, also in Melbourne, receiving her Graduate Diploma in 1980. Directly after Johnson’s time at RMIT she graduated with her Diploma of Education from Melbourne State College.
In addition to her fire art career, in the early 1980s Johnson worked as an art director on independent films and music videos. She worked with artists like Nick Cave, The Models and video makers the Rich Kids. She returned to art by taking art classes with Howard Arkley. She and Howard were married for about three years until 1989. Howard encouraged her to paint. It was during this time that she found her inspiration. It came from a combination of light, the natural elements of gardens and beauty. She would continue to harvest these elements in her paintings and drawings.
Since her first solo show in 1989, Johnson has had over 15 solo shows of her work and been included in numerous group shows. During her career, she has shown her work at Legge Gallery in Sydney and at Australian Galleries in Melbourne among others. Johnson currently shows her art at Martin Browne Fine Art in Sydney. Frequently Johnson has been interviewed about her artwork. The art press and major national newspapers and magazines have reviewed her shows.
Johnson has won awards and grants including the 9th RM Ansett Art Award at the Howard Gallery in 1992. Additionally, in 1990 she won a project grant from the Visual Arts Board of the Australia Council.
She has taught art at various times during her art career. From 1986 to 1993 she taught General Drawing, Life Drawing and Arts Business Practice at Prahran TAFE while during similar years (1987 to 1991) she taught Advance Certificate of Art & Design at Dandenong TAFE. More recently from 1995 to 2001 she taught painting at Sophie Mundi Steiner School. Today she focuses on her art practice and raising her two children.
- Writers:
- Jim Sheehan
- Date written:
- 2009
- Last updated:
- 2020
