Johan de Fre - Mixed Fruit

Johan comes from a long tradition of Flemish painters, a tradition kept alive by a system of learning through ateliers, artist studios where centuries old techniques and craft are passed on from master to pupil. For many years now Johan has been an acknowledged master of these most demanding of techniques. His exquisite, highly finished oils are the embodiment of that perfection that the Flemish school have always sought in depicting objects, whether natural or man made. The quality of Johan's painting is self evident but the perfection in finish and reproduction is far from the slavish emulation of photorealism. Each painting is never a 'copy' of nature but retains the very distinct stamp of the artist's style, a sense of the modern that sets him apart from his contemporaries in the Antwerp Classical School. This modernity infusing his otherwise traditional works is achieved by a crisp hard line in paint and an almost otherworldly clarity of light. His subjects themselves are not stilted lifeless arrangements of objects but rather carry a warmth and animation that contradict the precision of the technique. Johan's compositions are very important to his process, his wry sense of humour emerges throughout, as each grouping is set as a conversation between the objects. This anthropomorphism abounds in his work, he sees fruit on a shelf interacting ''as actors on a stage.....part of some kind of choreography". Johan has built an international following over a long and successful career and we anticipate an enthusiastic reception to his latest collection of beautiful creations in what will be his tenth solo exhibition with us.