Artist of the month

Johanna Basford

One of 25 Scottish makers to be selected for Origin: The London Craft Fair, Johanna creates bespoke hand printed items for the home, from wallpapers to co-ordinating fabrics and lampshades.

The location of Johanna's studio, a remote fish farm in Aberdeenshire, undoubtedly influences her work. Delicate silk screen prints depicting hand drawn motifs of botanicals peppered with butterflies and beasties feature heavily in Johanna’s work, both in bespoke colourways and her signature monochrome palette.

Johanna's passion for creating has developed into an expanding business, winning the 23 year old a place as a finalist in Shell Livewire’s Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

The studio has already diversified to include other handprinted products and stationery, as well as launching a flexographic printed wallpaper collection; the first step towards mass-manufactured design for the commercial market.

Each 10 metre roll of Johanna’s silk screen printed wallpaper can take up to two days to print, however the finished panels convey all the depth and quality of the original drawings.

In addition to the signature black and white colour palette, designs can be printed in bespoke colourways as well as gloss, metallic, flock and gold leaf finishes.

New additions to the collection have included 'Macbeth', a macabre twist to her usual florals, featuring art nouveau style botanicals intertwined with skulls and snakes, and 'Midnight Butterfly' an inky black on black print layered with gold leaf butterflies and delicate areas of hand drawing. These two new pieces were exhibited at Origin: The London Craft Fair for which Johanna received additional support from the Scottish Arts Council as a new maker.

Graduating in summer 2005 with a degree in printed textiles from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art in Dundee, Johanna's individual approach to design and creation was recognised by the Scottish Arts Council and, with the assistance of a start-up grant, she set up her studio in rural Aberdeenshire.

Johanna offers customers a bespoke design service and also accepts commissions, developing prints and products to distinguish and define any space or occasion.

With aspirations to become one of the leading names in contemporary design, Johanna hopes to continue working from Scotland, her home and her inspiration.