Massey Klein Gallery is pleased to announce participation in Future Fair with new work by Martine Johanna. Hosted at Chelsea Industrial in New York City, the fair will host a VIP viewing on Wednesday, May 1st, and will be open to the public May 2-4, 2024. For inquiries regarding the fair including works available, please email info@masseyklein.com.
Martine Johanna’s work represents an investigation into image versus self-image and the ever changing, multifaceted role of women within a patriarchal culture. Her semi-autobiographical imagined female characters are placed within surreal surroundings, free to be erratic, elusive, and independent. Engulfed in dark, saturated, and fiery colors, each character embodies a heroic saga, powerfully and fiercely occupying the role of a protagonist that is holding on tightly to the fearless illusions of a dreamer. With visual references to Joan of Arc, Johanna paints heroines who are unapologetic, courageous, and rife with self-affirming power, not to be oppressed by traditional perspectives of male superiority. Through the bravery projected by each fantastical scene, Johanna’s paintings create visionary worlds that are safe from ridicule and judgment, celebrating women who exist within their own power.
Martine Johanna studied at ArtEZ the Academy of Fine Arts in Arnhem, Netherlands, where she completed both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. This Spring, she will participate in the prestigious Mack Art Foundation Artist in Residency program. Johanna has exhibited internationally, including exhibitions at 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. The artist has had three previous solo exhibitions with Massey Klein Gallery. The most recent, How to Eliminate Stress and Anxiety Through Good Housekeeping, was on view last year from April 7th through May 20th, 2023. Johanna has been featured in numerous publications includingINTERLOCUTOR Magazine (and podcast), the Art Affairs podcast, My Modern Met, Collateral Magazine,Metal Magazine, The Jaunt, Juxtapoz, Create!, Contemporary Art Curator Magazine, and Booooooom.The artist currently lives and works in Zetten, Netherlands.
