Arjan janssen

Arjan Janssen (b.1965 Netherlands) is a Dutch abstract painter whose work is defined by a rigorous reduction of form and a sustained investigation into structure, rhythm, and perception. Working across painting and drawing, he has developed a highly distinctive visual language grounded in repetition, linear systems, and the tension between order and freedom.

Janssen studied at the Academy of Art and Design St. Joost in Breda from 1985 to 1990, alongside a period of study in philosophy at the University of Amsterdam. Early in his career, he moved decisively away from figuration, establishing abstraction as the central and enduring framework of his practice.

His work is characterised by vertical and horizontal structures—grids, stripes, and sequences of lines—that function as self-imposed compositional systems. These frameworks act simultaneously as constraint and catalyst, allowing for compositions that are both controlled and intuitive. Through repeated gestures in paint and chalk, Janssen constructs surfaces that oscillate between density and openness, precision and variability.

Over time, his palette has evolved from a predominantly monochrome language into a more nuanced exploration of colour, while maintaining a commitment to clarity and reduction. His paintings often emphasise verticality and a sense of gravitational pull, grounding the work physically while reinforcing its contemplative presence.

Since the early 2000s, Janssen has exhibited widely across Europe, and his work is held in both private and institutional collections in the Netherlands and internationally, including Museum Breda. He has also played an active role in fostering dialogue around abstraction, co-founding the artist initiative ROSA in Breda and later establishing the platform abstracte.eu.

Janssen’s practice is driven by a sustained search for essentials—an attempt to construct a self-contained visual language in which meaning emerges through the precise orchestration of line, surface, and spatial rhythm rather than through representation.

Solo Exhibitions (Selected)

2026 — Mannheimer Kunstverein, Galerie Kim Behm, Mannheim (DE); Cang Art Museum, Hangzhou (CN)
2025 — Tagus International Centre of Arts, Hangzhou (CN)
2023 — Galerie William Wauters, Oosteeklo (BE)
2022 — Stadsschouwburg Utrecht (NL); Bjorn & Gundorph Gallery, Aarhus (DK)
2020 — Galerie Kim Behm, Mannheim (DE); Holly Hunt, London (GB)
2019 — Hilde Vandaele Gallery, Watou (BE)
2018 — Holly Hunt, Miami (US); Galerie Závodný, Mikulov (CZ)
2017 — Vincent van Gogh Huis, Zundert (NL); Studio Seine, Rotterdam (NL)
2016 — Galerie Hein Elferink, Staphorst (NL); (WOOT), Antwerp (BE)
2015 — Latuvu, Bages (FR); Galerie Hein Elferink, Staphorst (NL)

Institutional & Biennial Highlights

2025 — 8th International Biennale of Non-Objective Arts, Athens (BG); Qiantang Bay Art Museum, Hangzhou (CN)
2024 — International Triennial of Graphic Art, Tianyi Pavilion Museum, Ningbo (CN)
2021 — Stedelijk Museum Breda (NL); Noordbrabants Museum, Den Bosch (NL)
2020 — Vincent van Gogh Huis, Zundert (NL)
2015 — Vasarely Museum, Budapest (HU)

Selected Group Exhibitions (Recent)

2025 — Galerie Fred & Ferry, Antwerp (BE); Ruimte P60, Assen (NL); Latuvu, Bages (FR)
2024 — Ruimte P60, Assen (NL); Galerie Ecker, Breda (NL)
2023 — Abstracte Breda (NL); Gallery 7, Athens (GR); Hooghouse, Groningen (NL)
2022 — Bogert Gallery, Knokke-Heist (BE); Non Sofia, Sofia (BG); Kunstenhuis Harelbeke (BE)
2017 — Markers, Richeldis Fine Art, London (GB)