My Phantom Limbs, 2020

Martine Johanna  

Martine Johanna was born and raised in Gelderland, Netherlands and has studied at ArtEZ the Academy of fine Arts in Arnhem, obtaining a Bachelor and a Master degree. She has exhibited in multiple Solo shows in the Netherlands, Europe and the United States. Her work is part of several private collections and has been widely published. Her paintings were also featured in two episodes of the HBO hit series True Detective.

Martine Johanna's practice mainly consists of producing visual work in the form of paintings. In addition, she investigates how one conceptual origin is reflected in diverse layers of communication such as; drawings, written texts, installations and audio. She prefers to work on series for solo exhibitions.

The overarching concept is based on personality conflicts between the authentic, self-taught and the learned mannerism and discomfort of projected morality. It is a visual analogue that explores the boundaries of our (patriarchal) society from a personal perspective, experience and the resulting vision. The works are an autobiographical visual attempt at unraveling the psychic landscape of the developing woman caught in a moment of internal conflict. In the works there is a constant battle between fiction and reality, a dialogue permeated from various points of view. The work is infused with a mysterious narrative that holds a palpable knowledge that each character in the work has a complete and complex history which the viewer can never fully comprehend, but is still recognizable.

The paintings contain a mix of figurative and abstract elements with a visually stimulating prismatic palette. These colors are a reference to primary impulses, the color spectrum of toys, flowers, childlike seduction and optimism. With the color spectrum and composition, the viewer is subconsciously seduced to explore the deeper more disturbing layers beyond the decorative. (Or not) The painting technique has been developed autonomously and consists of a multitude of small paint strokes in unmixed colors. The works seem realistic from afar, but the closer you get, the more the tension between reality and fantasy becomes visible.