CURRENT ︎︎︎ MOYA MUSEUM, September 2025 - May 2026 Oosterhout Brabant
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. Her journey began at an early age, pursuing diverse creative interests throughout her life. Martine Johanna’s practice revolves mainly around the activity of painting, drawing and writing.
Born and raised in the Netherlands, Martine has studied at the Academy of fine Arts in Arnhem, obtaining a bachelors and Masters degree.
MA, ArtEZ – Institute of the Arts, Arnhem, NL
BA, ArtEZ – Institute of the Arts, Arnhem, NL
Martine Johanna is a Dutch born female artist. Her journey began at an early age, pursuing diverse creative interests throughout her life. Martine Johanna’s practice revolves mainly around the activity of painting, drawing and writing.
Born and raised in the Netherlands, Martine has studied at the Academy of fine Arts in Arnhem, obtaining a bachelors and Masters degree.
MESMERIZED BY MERCURY WINDOWS
Growing up in an environment structured by traditional gender divides, with rules and opinions more restrictive and judgemental towards girls. I never minded a scuffed knee, climbing trees. But as many others that want to discover the world from a place of curiosity, in my teens I was met with the consequences of my gender and my impulsive nature. Growing up felt like becoming a construct of myself and the expectations of my family, local society and general society through media and religious beliefs. Like the mythological Chimera, I felt like a collage of sorts.
The limitations and double standart in my personal situation left me frustrated, never fully being taken seriously, my ambitions, spirit and dreams tempered. Having to accept responsibility whenever something bad happened to me. And going through the pain, guilt, confusion and shame of those things by myself. It was a big rift from my brothers childhood experience.
So it came to be that, whenever I felt overwhelmed, misunderstood, or not believed or supported, I chose to retreat and escape through drawing, painting, dancing, reading cheap dime novels, fashion magazines full off wonderfully dressed strong women, ghost stories, otherworldy adventures and watching any film outside of the dull and restrictive. Much like the screens and social media channels of today, these outlets provided an escape into an illusive and ethereal world where anything seemed possible, filled with dark entities, space ships, fairytale castles and savior princes.
Growing up in an environment structured by traditional gender divides, with rules and opinions more restrictive and judgemental towards girls. I never minded a scuffed knee, climbing trees. But as many others that want to discover the world from a place of curiosity, in my teens I was met with the consequences of my gender and my impulsive nature. Growing up felt like becoming a construct of myself and the expectations of my family, local society and general society through media and religious beliefs. Like the mythological Chimera, I felt like a collage of sorts.
The limitations and double standart in my personal situation left me frustrated, never fully being taken seriously, my ambitions, spirit and dreams tempered. Having to accept responsibility whenever something bad happened to me. And going through the pain, guilt, confusion and shame of those things by myself. It was a big rift from my brothers childhood experience.
So it came to be that, whenever I felt overwhelmed, misunderstood, or not believed or supported, I chose to retreat and escape through drawing, painting, dancing, reading cheap dime novels, fashion magazines full off wonderfully dressed strong women, ghost stories, otherworldy adventures and watching any film outside of the dull and restrictive. Much like the screens and social media channels of today, these outlets provided an escape into an illusive and ethereal world where anything seemed possible, filled with dark entities, space ships, fairytale castles and savior princes.
Before my teens I remember a more magical time, with the rainbow colors of the plastic fly curtains at the kitchen door, the bright pastel tupperware, Barbie adds and plastic toys and prismatic reflections of water in a baby bath in the yard. The grass freshly mown by my father. The laughter of my twin brother when we would play outside with all our stuffed toys, playing Star Trek with them as crewmembers. The color sceme of those memories lies like a softening blanket over my work, it’s effect gratifying and inviting. Like a life to come rooted in innocense, full of wonder and imagination.
The female figures in my paintings and drawings are reflections of heroins of femalehood, retreating in themselves without losing their footing. In their composure they 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.
Would not every person like to have a certain amount of freedom to develop, without the ever looming risk and fear of judgement or harm?
Every brushstroke or pencil movement delivers for me personally a fragment of that wishful freedom and a moment of peace from the noise and struggles of life.
"The last thing I wanted was infinite security and to be the place an arrow shoots off from. I wanted change and excitement and to shoot off in all directions myself, like the colored arrows from a Fourth of July rocket."
From The Bell Jarr by Sylvia Plath
︎ GHOSTMOTHER music
The female figures in my paintings and drawings are reflections of heroins of femalehood, retreating in themselves without losing their footing. In their composure they 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.
Would not every person like to have a certain amount of freedom to develop, without the ever looming risk and fear of judgement or harm?
Every brushstroke or pencil movement delivers for me personally a fragment of that wishful freedom and a moment of peace from the noise and struggles of life.
"The last thing I wanted was infinite security and to be the place an arrow shoots off from. I wanted change and excitement and to shoot off in all directions myself, like the colored arrows from a Fourth of July rocket."
From The Bell Jarr by Sylvia Plath
︎ GHOSTMOTHER music