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Three white mannequins from Johanna Basford's exhibition. One mannequin of a human is standing, another is sitting. There is also a white mannequin of a dog. All of the figures are decorated with intricate patterns of black ink.

Johanna Basford

Wonderlands

04 May - 07 July 2013

In 2013, we invited you to visit the intricate and inky Wonderlands of this exhibition of the work of artist and illustrator Johanna Basford. Tumble down the rabbit hole and explore an immersive forest of paper trees, see a cluster of cuckoo clocks and meet a family of tattooed mannequins. Then catch an illustrated sailboat and float away into a projected backdrop on this journey into Johanna's imagination. You will also discover a monochrome menagerie of hand drawn Wonderbeasts, each suggested by one of over 150 co-creators from around the world. 

White canvases hang as part of Johanna Basford's exhibition. They are decorated with intricate black pictures of trees, made up of very detailed patterns.

Johanna Basford graduated from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design (DJCAD) in 2005 and lives in Aberdeenshire. Her distinctive illustrative style is widely recognised and can be found on a diverse range of products including wallpaper, beer bottles and even tattoos. In 2010, her work was featured on the cover of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe programme — reaching an audience of several hundred thousand. During her exhibition, Johanna and DCA will be joining forces to create a publication showcasing the full range of her talents, as well as being a souvenir of her exhibition. Find out more about this book at a special launch event on Sat 15 June.

We are deeply proud of the artists emerging from our city and we hope that these exhibitions inspire the next generation of DJCAD graduates. Wonderlands is Johanna’s first solo exhibition in a public gallery and we are delighted to be able to share the work of such an innovative artist with our audience.

Susan Mansfield wrote a lovely article about the show just before it officially opened, you can read it here.

Dundee University Review of the Arts also kindly provided a review of the exhibition, available here.

Artist Interview | Johanna Basford on Wonderlands

Johanna Basford: Exhibition Notes

Click here to download the Exhibition Notes for Johanna Basford: Wonderlands
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1.8 MB (PDF)
Three white mannequins from Johanna Basford's exhibition. One mannequin of a human is standing, another is sitting. There is also a white mannequin of a dog. All of the figures are decorated with intricate patterns of black ink.
A white sailing boat from Johanna Basford's exhibition is decorated with intricate black ink patterns.
Walls from Johanna Basford's exhibition at DCA - one half is a white wall decorated with very intricate black patterns, the other is a black wall decorated with intricate white and black patterns.
A small porcelain figure of a bird stands next to a small hole in the corner of a wall in Johanna Basford's exhibition at DCA.
White canvases hang as part of Johanna Basford's exhibition. They are decorated with intricate black pictures of trees, made up of very detailed patterns.
A mannequin who is decorated with intricate black patterns sits on a table in Johanna Basford's exhibition.
Three white mannequins from Johanna Basford's exhibition. One mannequin of a human is standing, another is sitting. There is also a white mannequin of a dog. All of the figures are decorated with intricate patterns of black ink.
A white sailing boat from Johanna Basford's exhibition is decorated with intricate black ink patterns.
Walls from Johanna Basford's exhibition at DCA - one half is a white wall decorated with very intricate black patterns, the other is a black wall decorated with intricate white and black patterns.
A small porcelain figure of a bird stands next to a small hole in the corner of a wall in Johanna Basford's exhibition at DCA.
White canvases hang as part of Johanna Basford's exhibition. They are decorated with intricate black pictures of trees, made up of very detailed patterns.
A mannequin who is decorated with intricate black patterns sits on a table in Johanna Basford's exhibition.
Three white mannequins from Johanna Basford's exhibition. One mannequin of a human is standing, another is sitting. There is also a white mannequin of a dog. All of the figures are decorated with intricate patterns of black ink.
A white sailing boat from Johanna Basford's exhibition is decorated with intricate black ink patterns.
Walls from Johanna Basford's exhibition at DCA - one half is a white wall decorated with very intricate black patterns, the other is a black wall decorated with intricate white and black patterns.
A small porcelain figure of a bird stands next to a small hole in the corner of a wall in Johanna Basford's exhibition at DCA.
White canvases hang as part of Johanna Basford's exhibition. They are decorated with intricate black pictures of trees, made up of very detailed patterns.
A mannequin who is decorated with intricate black patterns sits on a table in Johanna Basford's exhibition.