ABOUT
Johann Booyens
ARTIST painter/printmaker
The idea of giving birth to a distinct product is what brings printmaking and painting to life for artist Johann Booyens.
Holding an M-tech in printmaking (Cum Laude), he is mostly drawn to graphic mediums. “I felt most at home within this technically demanding artistic medium. Printmaking is the overlapping space between artistic expression and scientific precision and thus the ultimate combination of techno-artistic poesis”.
“I tried almost every conceivable printmaking process available; from stone lithography to copper sulphate etching on aluminium to mezzotint and everything in between. I have, however, settled on drypoint and monotypes mainly but I sometimes still dabble on the ‘wild side’ with acid, grit, rockers and beeswax.”
Inspired by the natural environment, especially the landscape Johann often highlight the human element in the natural world.
He finds inspiration from other artists, studying their finely honed individual solutions to a collective problem of visual communication and expert voices towards this end.
Born in South Africa, Johann has his own studio in Glasgow city centre, UK.
Artist Statement
For me, art is the fundamental metaphysical activity of humankind. Cézanne stated that art and nature present themselves as two harmonies, existing alongside each other, thereby being equal. It is these liminal spaces, the transitional overlap between two ideas, I find fascinating. The most common and ancient of these exist in the threshold between culture and nature. My work, therefore, is concerned with the increasingly complex relationship we have with our natural environment. As we build our cities, and develop societies and economies, I observe less integration and more commodification and manipulation of nature to fit a human-centered imperative.
Solo Exhibitions
Featured Artist, Glasgow Art Club. Glasgow, 2024
Light to Dark, 6 Spin Street, Cape Town. 2020
Codified, MOK Gallery, Stellenbosch. 2019
Location, Location, Location.
Natasha Stadler Gallery. Somerset West. 2018
The places we live, Pniël Museum Gallery, Franschoek. 2018
Body image, Imibala Gallery, Somerset West. 2017
Group Shows/Fairs
Scottish Landscape Awards. Kirkcudbright. UK, 2025 Printfest Ulverston, UK, 2025 Printmakers of Scotland Festival of Print. Stirling UK, 2024 Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair. 2024. London UK Scottish Landscape Awards. Edinburgh. UK, 2024 Green Gallery. Various exhibitions. Buchlyvie UK, 2022 to current Whitehouse Gallery. Various exhibitions. Kirkcudbright UK, 2022 to current Glasgow Art Club. Anything goes. Glasgow UK, 2023 Devine Feminine 2022. London UK Restriction. 2021. Bridgewater UK NE Contemporary International Engraving Biennial 2021. Romania Lemond Gallery. Various exhibitions. Bearsden UK, 2022 to current Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair. 2022. London UK Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair. 2021. London UK Wells Art Contemporary. 2021. Bath UK Society of Scottish Artist: Printmaking exhibition, 2021. Scotland UK Restriction: small spaces exhibition, 2021. Somerset UK Bad Hands eZine, 2020. Glasgow UK IPEP print portfolio, 2020. Delhi India Society of Scottish Artists 30x30, 2020. Edinburgh UK Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair. 2020. London UK 7th Guanlan Print Biennial 2020. Work included in final selection 2nd International Print Biennale, Yerevan 2020