Friends of the brand
Meet Johnston Sheard
Pastel Core
We met up with one-of-a-kind draftsman and Scotsman Johnston Sheard in his studio above Chisenhale Gallery, on the bank of the Grand Union Canal, south of Victoria Park.
The space has that particular East London charm, a mix of industrial architecture and cottage core vibes. Clad in vintage carpets and dotted with Johnston Junior's toys, it beams a warm energy and seems to overflow with daylight.
Johnston isn't usually wearing his old school kilt and sporran in the studio, but as he had dug them out for his recent wedding, they were still kicking around. The kilt is actually his stepfather's, as his original school kilt is full of fag holes. Paired with our Twill Rugby Shirt in Black/Dark Navy, the whole ensemble looked spot-on. Seeing the dangling fur tufts of the sporran next to his animalistic sculptures, I suddenly realised the connection of his work to his Scottish heritage and folklore.
I first met Johnston about ten years ago in a temporary project space near Oxford Circus. Back then, he was working more through music, performance and installation. Since then, his practice has shifted towards large-scale paintings with geometric patterns and flat figures in chalky, pastel tones, alongside sculptures and reliefs informed by folklore, animism and Old Testament narratives.
By the time it was our turn, the professional musicians he'd cast were still at the pub
With a background in music, Johnston toys with the idea of making an opera, an idea that seems to give the work a horizon. With this thought in mind, the paintings and sculptures begin to appear as masks, vignettes, props, open-ended scenes from something larger still taking shape in the background.
When we were chatting away, we suddenly remembered an evening when Johnston had cast me as a singer for a performance at Kunstraum years back. By the time it was our turn, the professional musicians he'd cast were still at the pub, and the rest of us were mildly under the influence. When the musicians eventually entered the stage halfway through the piece, claiming their instruments back, while joining the performance on the fly, things became slightly chaotic. But in our foggy memories, it all came together rather beautifully.
The chinos were Amazon Basics, but elevated by wear and marks
When he later threw on our boxy Twill Rugby Shirt in Grey/Almond, the colour blended just right into the pastel palette scattered across the studio, and paired with the paint-splattered chinos, it was quite the look. The chinos were Amazon Basics, but elevated by wear and marks.
When we met, Johnston was just planning his move to Margate, so I assume the next studio visit will be by the sea.
PHOTOGRAPHY AND TEXT Philipp Dorl
MODEL Johnston Sheard
PRODUCTION Gus Burgess
LOCATION Chisenhale Studios, Mile End, London
© by Philipp Dorl for Mid Moor and Mountain® Studio London/Berlin, 2025
Friends of the brand
Meet Johnston Sheard
Pastel Core
We met up with one-of-a-kind draftsman and Scotsman Johnston Sheard in his studio above Chisenhale Gallery, on the bank of the Grand Union Canal, south of Victoria Park.
The space has that particular East London charm, a mix of industrial architecture and cottage core vibes. Clad in vintage carpets and dotted with Johnston Junior's toys, it beams a warm energy and seems to overflow with daylight.
Johnston isn't usually wearing his old school kilt and sporran in the studio, but as he had dug them out for his recent wedding, they were still kicking around. The kilt is actually his stepfather's, as his original school kilt is full of fag holes. Paired with our Twill Rugby Shirt in Black/Dark Navy, the whole ensemble looked spot-on. Seeing the dangling fur tufts of the sporran next to his animalistic sculptures, I suddenly realised the connection of his work to his Scottish heritage and folklore.
I first met Johnston about ten years ago in a temporary project space near Oxford Circus. Back then, he was working more through music, performance and installation. Since then, his practice has shifted towards large-scale paintings with geometric patterns and flat figures in chalky, pastel tones, alongside sculptures and reliefs informed by folklore, animism and Old Testament narratives.
By the time it was our turn, the professional musicians he'd cast were still at the pub
With a background in music, Johnston toys with the idea of making an opera, an idea that seems to give the work a horizon. With this thought in mind, the paintings and sculptures begin to appear as masks, vignettes, props, open-ended scenes from something larger still taking shape in the background.
When we were chatting away, we suddenly remembered an evening when Johnston had cast me as a singer for a performance at Kunstraum years back. By the time it was our turn, the professional musicians he'd cast were still at the pub, and the rest of us were mildly under the influence. When the musicians eventually entered the stage halfway through the piece, claiming their instruments back, while joining the performance on the fly, things became slightly chaotic. But in our foggy memories, it all came together rather beautifully.
The chinos were Amazon Basics, but elevated by wear and marks
When he later threw on our boxy Twill Rugby Shirt in Grey/Almond, the colour blended just right into the pastel palette scattered across the studio, and paired with the paint-splattered chinos, it was quite the look. The chinos were Amazon Basics, but elevated by wear and marks.
When we met, Johnston was just planning his move to Margate, so I assume the next studio visit will be by the sea.
PHOTOGRAPHY AND TEXT Philipp Dorl
MODEL Johnston Sheard
PRODUCTION Gus Burgess
LOCATION Chisenhale Studios, Mile End, London
© by Philipp Dorl for Mid Moor and Mountain® Studio London/Berlin, 2025