OLIVIA JOHNSTON (b. 1991) is a queer and chronically ill artist and art historian living in Ottawa, Canada. Her visual arts practice consists of two core facets: one being an exploration of chronic illness and trauma, the other being an exploration of sacredness and its role in contemporary life. She is interested in exploring questions about images, gender, the body, the self, beauty, illness, memory, and what it means to be human. She uses her artistic practice as a means to explore social issues, practices of representation, and the boundaries and biases within her own and others’ belief systems. 

Johnston’s practice includes lens-based imagery, site-specific installation, and sculpture; her work has been exhibited across Canada and abroad. Johnston is an award-winning artist with a Bachelor Honours Art History from Carleton University and a Photographic Arts and Production Diploma from the SPAO Centre.