Johan Kleinjan
Johan Kleinjan (Zuid-Beijerland, NL, 1974) works in a characteristic unpolished style with a special use of colour. His works of art originate from his fascinations, which can consist of strange everyday things. To name a few: Formula 1, the participants of Tempation Island, victims of the Stalin terror and the participants in the television programme Opsoring verzocht.
In 1999, he studied for six months as an exchange student at Tokyo Zokei University in Japan, where his fascination with Asian culture began. Because of the language barrier Johan was often sent on trips by his teachers to draw what he came across, here he began to record everything he saw. Later he worked in Taiwan, Beijing and Chongqing. In Beijing he spent four months as an artist in residence at the Chinese Institute for Provocation, which collaborates with the Dutch Mondriaan Fund. Johan takes his pencils and sketchbook with him wherever he goes. He likes to draw people in their own environment, preferably without them being aware of it. In Beijing he drew the Chinese people in crowded places such as restaurants.
Another fascination in China were the large buildings. On the balconies, Johan discovered the diversity among the residents of the uniform residential towers. Where one turns his balcony into a jungle, the other uses it as a birdcage or storage for air conditioners. At the moment Johan is working on a new series of buildings, from all over the world.
In addition to his personal work, Johan is part of the Antistrot collective with which he carried out joint projects such as murals and exhibitions until 2010. Since 2010 Johan has been a member of the collective Kamp Horst.
Johan exhibited in various solo and group exhibitions. His work is greatly appreciated in Asia, where he also did several residencies, for example at the Institute For Provocation in Beijing, China, which collaborates with the Mondriaan Fund. Since 2018 he has worked closely with Galerie Fleur & Wouter, where he held special exhibitions about the victims of the American serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer and his fascination with the American Bounty Hole racing culture.
Exhibitions & fairs with the gallery:
Verhuisdier From Hell
KunstRai 2022
WILD
KunstRAI 2021
Summer of '21
Sight by Sight
Press
Publications
Johan Kleinjan has been keeping journals for the past 20 years. They contain drawings, writings, comics, clippings and brainchildren from his everyday life and journeys around the world. Together with Johan we selected the most fun, beautiful and crazy pages and combined them into a limited edition magazine.
Soft cover | 60 pages | Size 21 x 15 cm | 200 copies |
€15,00 (tax included)
Video
Gallery
