Heather Johnston, born in Anchorage Alaska, creates art in various media, including works on paper, paintings, and sculptures. Her paintings’ unique styles feature masks, vibrant colors, and bold lines layered with intricate overlays of color. These elements together create a rich tapestry of stories that honor the traditions and spirit of Alaska Native culture.

Johnston also uses antique maps of Alaska to highlight the importance of place. She populates these maps with whales, bears, wolves, hunters, sea kayaks, and family groups from communities across Alaska. Use of the maps emphasizes the deep connection between humans and their environment, where subsistence living is essential, and beauty and joy are found in everyday experiences in the vastness of the wild. Through her art, Heather invites viewers to enjoy the rich tapestry of Alaska’s Indigenous cultures, and the enduring bond between people and the land that sustains them.

Central to Johnston’s inspiration is her Unangax̂ heritage, a lineage rich with history, resilience, and artistry. This heritage, shared with her father Don Johnston, a master baleen basket weaver and ivory carver, profoundly influences her work.