Gena Johns - Fine Artist
Gena Mary Sasaki Johns
Gena was born in Osaka, Japan in 1991 and has spent her life growing up in Oxfordshire. She completed an Art Foundation at Oxford and Cherwell Valley College in Banbury and went on to study a BA in Fine Art at Winchester School of Art.
Gena's current work looks at childhood memories and she analyses how we use memory within our everyday lives and through art. Her cultural background, being half Japanese and half English has been a significant aspect to her work, and from this she has focused on; researching into Japanese interiors, the reasons and theories behind them and delving deeper into 'real' contemporary Japan. From this she pieces together her two cultural backgrounds to emphasise being torn between two worlds.
Gena mainly works with collage and photography either taken by her, from her late Mother's childhood photos, or that are relevant to her memories to create narratives and fake worlds that contrast the past and present, in order to trick the viewer's mind. Her work also touches on surreal and fantasy elements, which then unfolds her longing to be a part of her heritage of Japan.
