John Nieland (1966) is a Dutch painter,  born in Baflo, Groningen. He spent his childhood in Friesland, where  it became apparent from a young age, that he had creative talent. Nieland attended the Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam, but only for a short time. Working according to academic methods hindered his free spirit, so he decided to follow his own path.

 

His work has its own style with a strong tendency towards the abstract, expressive, uninhibited and surrealistic, inspired by art from the time of CoBrA. The colorful and often large dimensions of his work are characterized by thick layers of paint in which he captures emotions from the past. Due to the enormous layering, the work is a lot more complex than at first glance suggests and often several paintings are hidden under the surface. Each creation contains a piece of history, a story, an emotion, a secret, powerful and innovative. 

 

Artistic expression is a necessity of life for Nieland.

 

In 1996 Nieland founded the artist group Lamütta in Amsterdam. The group consisted of visual artists, composers, filmmakers, fashion designers and painters including Herman Brood, Karel N.L. Grazell and Edwin Donders.

His first exhibition was in café de Duvel in Amsterdam in 1996. Since then, Nieland exhibited regularly, both nationally and internationally, including in Japan, Ibiza, Spain, Antwerp, Amsterdam, The Hague, Hilversum and Naarden Vesting.

 

For a long time Nieland worked as an A&R manager for a number of major record companies. As a producer he has also worked on various music and video productions. Besides his love for music, painting has always remained his greatest passion.

 

In 2018, Nieland visited Japan at the invitation of the Japanese government as part of an art exchange project in collaboration with the Dutch embassy. In 2021 he is planning to continue his Japanese adventure with new exhibitions in Oita and in Museum Kumamoto.

 

“Art arises in my head. My creativity is a reflection of my experiences , my dreams and thoughts. Everything I make, has to do with the certain emotion of that moment. The CoBrA movement has always inspired me, I work according the same principle as the artists of this group. Paintings and drawings develop as if in a daze, in my subconscious mind. Paint is the tool I use to create. My creations convey a personal message.

The figures and the use of color in my work can awaken a dormant fantasy. 

 

I would like to make people dream again.

 

My artistic expressions cannot be categorized. I have never strived for perfection and my creations are far from ànd will never be perfect. I am happy when my creation screams and speaks its own language. That's the moment I can let it go. ”