MARTINE JOHANNA

About the artist
Education
MA, ArtEZ – Institute of the Arts, Arnhem, NL
BA, ArtEZ – Institute of the Arts, Arnhem, NL

Martine Johanna is a Dutch born female artist. Starting her practice later in life, the artist has developed a unique visual language channeling her authentic viewpoints and mental struggles with a patriarchal society, seperating herself from the establishment. She currently lives and works in the Netherlands in the countryside, maintaining close ties to her former Amsterdam location where she worked & resided for 12 years.


Representing galleries:
MasseyKlein Gallery, New York, USA
KochXBos gallery, Amsterdam, Netherlands

MJ in her studio in 2021
ABOUT THE WORK

The escapistic and slightly hypnagogic works of Martine Johanna are figurative within the realm of new contemporary realism, and embody the inner workings of a self described "female chimerical house".
A symbolic paradoxical house of that explores the mental fluctuations of an archetypical female roaming a predominantly male infrastructure, whilst trying to observantly experience her own narratives within the social fabric she is part of.

The painterly works, often on linen and panels, are made with acrylic in an optimistic prismatic color spectrum reminiscent of Fauvism and carry the atmosphere of Mid Century idealism. The works often include framing that let the image bleed into the “real world”. Cut-throughs and light prisms distort the female protagonists in elucidating dynamic surreal compositions, making an exploratory play between abstraction and narrative depiction.


MESMERIZED BY MERCURY WINDOWS

Part of Johanna’s inspiration is drawn from childhood. The artist grew up in an environment structured by traditional gender divides, rules and roles, with those more restrictive and judgemental towards girls. Being tought to personify what a girl should be and accept responsibility for victimhood the artist sought an escape through cheap dime novels, TV programs and fashion magazines, much like the screens and social media channels of today. It provided escape into an illusive and ethereal world filled with fairytale castles and savior princes. Johanna’s female protagonists playfully exhibit the inner struggle between youthful naivety and adulthood, in an attempt to establish their own gender driven identities and romantic inclinations while trying to fit into the world around them.

Martine Johanna studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Arnhem, Netherlands, where she completed both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. She has exhibited internationally, including exhibitions at commercial galleries in Amsterdam, San Francisco, New York, Aalborg, Los Angeles and San Diego, and has participated in exhibitions at cultural institutions including the Mesa Arts Museum in Arizona and Collectie de Groen in Arnhem. Johanna’s work resides in prominent private collections internationally.

United States
MASSEY KLEIN GALLERY
124 Forsyth Street
New York, US
info@masseyklein.com
www.masseyklein.com


Europe
KOCHxBOS GALLERY
Eerste Anjeliersdwarsstraat 36
Amsterdam, NL
info@kochxbos.com
www.kochxbos.nl

SOLO AND TWO PERSON EXHIBITIONS



2024 
A Particular Ghost, Hashimoto contemporary, Los Angeles, US 

2023
How To Eliminate Stress And Anxiety Through Good Housekeeping, Massey Klein Gallery, New York, US

2022 
A Luminous Void, KochXBos Gallery, Amsterdam, NL

2021 
The Dark House Of Gloria, Hashimoto contemporary, San Francisco, U

2020 
Balancing Act, Massey Klein Gallery, New York, US
Surrender Dorothy, KochXBos Gallery, Amsterdam, NL

2018 
Life is but a Dream, Massey Klein Gallery, New York, US
Dark Matter, KochXBos Gallery, Amsterdam, NL

2017 
Something’s Wrong, Massey Lyuben, New York, US

2016 
Dancer, Spoke Art, San Francisco, US

2016 
Happy Days, Bright Side Gallery, Amsterdam, NL


GROUP SHOWS


2023 
A Decade of The Jaunt, Hashimoto Contemporary, Los Angeles, US

2022
The Moleskine Project, Mesa Arts Museum, Mesa, US
At The Edge, Kirk Gallery, Aalborg, DK
Halcyon Days, Modern Eden Gallery, San Francisco, US

2021 
At The Edge of Realism, Kirk Gallery, Aalborg, DK
Inaugural, Hashimoto Contemporary, Los Angeles, US
ExtraPlaats ExtraWerk, Plaatsmaken, Arnhem / Extrapool, Nijmegen, NL
Uitnacht Arnhem, Collectie de Groen, Arnhem, NL

2020
Public Art Gallery, Studio Volkshotel Amsterdam, NL
Lately, Hashimoto Contemporary, San Francisco, US

2019 
Push Play, Massey Klein Gallery, New York, US
Scope Art Fair met Hashimoto Contemporary, Miami, US
KunstRai met KochXBos Gallery, Amsterdam, NL
Summer, KochXBos Gallery, Amsterdam, NL
Heron Arts, San Francisco, US
The Moleskine Project VIII, Hashimoto Contemporary, San Francisco, US
Seeing Red, Thinkspace, Los Angeles, US

2018
Hands On, Massey Klein Gallery, New York, US

2017 
Shaping The Future, Kallenbach Gallery, Amsterdam, NL


RESIDENCIES

2024  Yet to be published, New York, US 
2022 The Jaunt, Göteborg, SE


SELECTED PUBLICATIONS & PRESS


2023 
December: The Truth In This Art with Rob Lee (interview), US
Interlocutor Interviews podcast, (interview), US
Art Affairs podcast by Michael Faith (interview), US
Create! Magazine (interview), US
Juxtapoz, US
My Modern Met, US
Interlocuter magazine (interview), US
Experimenta Magazine, ES

2022
Beware Magazine, FR

2021
Juxtapoz, US
Booooooom, US
We and the Color, US
Brainstorm radio (interview / curatie), NL
De Grote Nederlandse Kunstkalender, NL

2020
Sound and Vision podcast by Brian Alfred (interview), US
Winter (interview), MirrorMirror Magazine, NL
LOFI podcast by John Wentz (interview), US/FR
Interlocuter Interviews (artikel over Balancing Act), US
Juxtapoz Magazine (artikel over Balancing Act), US
Booooooom (artikel over Balancing Act), US
Dutch Culture USA, US
Duoscopic Magazine, US
Create Zine (Interview), US
Gallery Viewer (Frontpage article, Surrender Dorothy), NL

2019
ELLE Decoration Canal Houses #2, NL
Metal Magazine, US
Contemporary Art Curator Magazine, US

2018
Wall Street International Magazine, US

2017 
Fresh Paint Magazine, US


EDITIONS 

2024 Ghostmothers, Jordskred, NL 
2023 Göteborg, The Jaunt, DK/NL
2022 The Moleskine Project, Paragon Books, US
2021 ExtraPlaats ExtraWerk, Plaatsmaken, Arnhem / Extrapool, Nijmegen, NL
2017 - today, Diverse print editions diverse galeries