The Life and Origins of Johan van Oord

Johan van Oord was born on May 7, 1950, in Werkendam, Netherlands. This small town in the Netherlands provided the early setting for a life spent working as a painter, visual artist, and conceptual artist. His presence in the art world became established during an active period that stretched from 1985 to 2016.

His roots in the Netherlands remain a constant point of reference. The quiet surroundings of Werkendam shaped the early years of a man who would eventually move through various modes of making, from simple drawings to complex conceptual ideas. He has continued to be a part of the Dutch artistic landscape, maintaining a practice that spans several decades of observation and creation.

Diverse Artistic Techniques and Mediums

The way Johan van Oord handles his materials reveals a preference for both the heavy and the fluid. He often works with oil paint on canvas, sometimes layering it with pencil to find a specific line. On other surfaces, such as cardboard, he applies acrylic. There is a tactile quality to his use of wood charcoal and East Indian ink, which he uses alongside washed ink on paper to create varying depths of tone. His practice is not limited to traditional pigments; he has been known to use chocolate and inkfish in his process, bringing organic, unconventional substances into his compositions.

His work moves between the structured and the spontaneous. He creates through drawings and collages, often working with charcoal on paper to establish form. The choice of medium seems to depend on the specific intent of the piece, whether it requires the permanence of oil or the immediate, staining quality of ink. This variety allows for a range of textures, from the matte finish of charcoal to the sheen of oil paint.

Notable Works and Artistic Series

The work Comp. 36/3 from 1986 shows a combination of oil and pencil on canvas. In 1994, he produced Zonder titel. By 2007, his practice included 123 123, an oil paint work on canvas. These pieces reflect a steady engagement with the physical properties of his chosen materials.

His series titled OXO consists of oil paint on canvas. In 2011, he moved toward larger-scale applications with Venetiaans Rood, which functions as a wall painting in an espresso bar. His later work expanded into three dimensions, such as the 2023 sculpture DalenOord, which was created as a model using wood, acrylic, steel, plastic, and sound.

• Comp. 36/3 (1986)
• Zonder titel (1994)
• 123 123 (2007)
• Venetiaans Rood (2011)
• DalenOord (2023)

Exhibitions and Museum Collections

The presence of his work in institutional settings provides a quiet record of his practice. His pieces are held within the Rijksmuseum Twenthe in Enschede and are also featured in the Museum Boijmans-Van Beuningen. These collections place his visual language alongside other significant works, marking his place in the contemporary landscape.

His recent activity shows a steady engagement with various exhibition spaces. In 2024, he was a member of the OBMOKhO (Society of Young Artist) and participated in ART Rotterdam. Later that year, his work was included in The Solo Project Brussel in December. These appearances follow a history of specific shows, such as the 2016 exhibition titled 'noir puissant, noir absolu'.