Mandy Johnston

Mandy Johnston (b.1978) is a multidisciplinary artist who works with alternative materials, experiential sculptural
installation, alternative photographic, film and printmaking techniques. Her passion for sharing knowledge has led
her to be involved in artist-led initiatives, to develop and present professional practice workshops and to mentor
artists within her practice.

Johnston received her MFA from the University of the Witwatersrand( 2003), a Marteinssen merit award for
installation(1998 and 1999), was a Sasol New Signatures finalist(1999, 2010) and an ABSA L’Atelier finalist(
1999,2012), Ithuba trust award( 2012), was a PPC Young Sculptors Awards finalist( 2011,2015), was presented as
the festival artist of the Klein Karoo National Art festival( 2019).

Johnston presented her first solo exhibition is 2012 and has presented 5 more since, most recently showing at
Everard Reed, Circa Cape Town in 2024 and AfrikaBurn 2025. Johnston’s work is part of multiple corporate and
private collections Including RMB and ABSA.

Johnston’s work was part of Berman Contemporary’s inaugural exhibition, Contours Unveiled. Johnston exhibited at
Investec Cape Town Art Fair with Berman Contemporary and worked towards her new solo with the gallery.

I am a multidisciplinary artist. I work mainly with alternative materials, alternative photographic and printmaking
techniques and experiential sculptural installation. Through my work I explore human connectivity and the fragility
of existence. I employ contextual and traditional definitions attributed to materials to support these themes. For
example, I often use copper wire to suggest information and energy transfer, bridging both raw material value and
information value systems.

Because I am interested in contradictions and binaries I consider how something has been defined by its antithesis
or the possibility of its absence and how this shifts its value and meaning. Absence often create possibility, a once
filled space for example becomes open and vulnerable to be absorbed, used, ignored or quoted. Absences are also
that which exists “unseen”, such as light and shadow. Elements like fire and transferred shadows bring concepts of
transience and memory to the forefront of my experiential sculptural installations.

I am currently exploring alternative possibilities for rites of passage and the lack thereof in my societal context. I
am asking questions around the possibility of alternative support structures to institutionalised ones and ways we
can better support each other through transitions in life.