Lisa Younger is a Johannesburg based artist who works with hand cut and layered paper.

Lisa obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Dramatic Art (with Honours) from Wits University in 1994, where she majored in performance studies and theatre design / scenography.  Since graduating she has worn many design hats – props master, scenic painter, set dresser, puppet maker, costume and set designer, interior and narrative designer – and helped to create the visual worlds for numerous live performance pieces, television programmes, and various built environments.

From 1997 to 2002 she designed productions for The National School of the Arts and was the resident designer for The Forgotten Angle Theatre Collaborative.  She was also a junior tutor to design and drawing students at the Wits School of Arts, and a teacher of set design practice at Creative Voices.

In 2006, Lisa established and began working as Activate Space, an interdisciplinary design studio, based in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Her work as a scenographer has earned her a few nominations and awards – 1 Naledi Nomination (2022, The Red Balloon, Best Children’s Production), 1 Naledi Award (2008, Jutro, Best Set Design), and 2 FNB Vitae Awards (2002, Sezar, Best Costume Design and 2001, The Double Room, Best New Production).

Between 2004 and 2017 she was the associate interior and narrative designer at Activate Architecture.  She worked as lead interior and narrative designer on projects that went on to win Silver and Bronze Loeries (2004, The Forum Homini Boutique Hotel; and 2011, The Lebone II College of the Royal Bafokeng).

From 2013 to 2015 she was a member of the improvisation group Causing a Scene (founded by Tony Morkel) where she learnt more about long and short form storytelling, and how to allow fertile ground for spontaneous creative process.

From 2016 to 2019 she attended open studio classes at The Fine Arts Workshop, facilitated by Taryn Millar, which were a major catalyst towards her starting to seriously develop her body of papercut artworks in 2019.

From January to June, each year, Lisa works from End Street Studios in August House, and from July to December she works from her design studio at home.  She is a mother to two beautiful girls.  And a wife.  In her spare time she dreams and works in her garden.

Exhibitions

2023

• Inside Life, Johannesburg, Group Exhibition curated by Sara Hallatt
• Choice Assorted, Johannesburg, Group Exhibition as the culmination of participants in The Business of Being an Artist (BOBA) course
• Open Studios, August House, Johannesburg, Group Exhibition

2022

• Open Studios, August House, Johannesburg, Group Exhibition
• Finding Form, The Stables, Johannesburg, Group Exhibition curated by Sara Hallatt
• Broken Telephone, Johannesburg, Group Exhibition curated by Olwethu De Vos

2021

• Open Studios, August House, Johannesburg, Group Exhibition
• Yard of Art, Victoria Yards, as part of the Rotary Club fundraising event

2019

• Starts, Johannesburg, Group Exhibition

Collections

The National Art Bank of South Africa, Bloemfontein

Private Collections in South Africa, Italy, and the UK.