OLIVIA JOHNSTON (b. 1991) is an artist and art historian living and working in Ottawa, Canada. In her practice, she investigates her own experiences of chronic illness and trauma, and examines the iconography of sacredness in contemporary life.. Catholic aesthetics often serve as a visual framework in her practice in order to explore questions about images, gender, the body, the self, beauty, illness, and art history.

Johnston’s practice includes lens-based imagery, site-specific installation, and sculpture; her award-winning work has been exhibited across Canada and abroad and it is in multiple private and public collections. She has received grant support from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, and the City of Ottawa. She holds a Bachelor Honours Art History from Carleton University and a Photographic Arts and Production Diploma from the SPAO Centre. Johnston is currently pursuing a Master of Fine Arts at the University of Ottawa,