Beverley Johnson

My work is about surfaces weathered by time, such as the bark of a tree, a rock face, walls, fences and doors. Over time, surfaces gain layers. Moss grows on tree bark, lichen creeps over stone, doors are given a new lick of paint. People spray graffiti and stick posters on walls. The layers build up, becoming richer and deeper. Then wind, rain and human hands work on the surfaces again. Paint fades, bark cracks, posters fall and notices are torn from walls. As the layers underneath are revealed, a surface becomes a fascinating blend of the past and present. I take close-up photographs of these surfaces, seeking small compositions in the details - a mini landscape etched in the traces left by the passage of weather and time. Each surface suggests its own story. My work is abstract but there is also a human connection. Time and our experiences leave their marks on us too. We age and weather and show the traces of all that has happened to us.

I grew up near London and studied in France and Germany before settling in Belgium. I studied drawing, painting and photography at Belgian art academy, Beeldende Kunst Overijse (BKO), finishing with a two-year specialisation in painting. I attended a course in painting with expression at Edinburgh College of Art in Scotland. I have exhibited in Belgium and the UK, and have works in collections in Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, the UK and the US. My painting, Greenery, was selected for the Royal Academy in London's Summer Exhibition 2019.