Johan Krijgsman

Johan Krijgsman lives in the historic city of Leiden. He paints in acrylic, gouache, and water-mixable oils, and also works with soft pastels. He developed his painting practice through online lessons with contemporary artists such as Ian Roberts, Samuel Earp, and Malcolm Dewey, and attended courses at Ars Aemulae.

His work consists primarily of landscapes, complemented by cityscapes and still lifes. Rather than aiming for an exact depiction of a place, he focuses on the experience of it: silence, light, and space. Johan often chooses everyday or understated locations—paths, riverbanks, dunes, and open fields—where time seems to slow down.

Reality serves as a point of departure but is simplified and re-ordered during the painting process. Through deliberate reduction, a limited colour palette, and visible brushwork, he seeks cohesion and a sense of calm within the image.

The landscapes have a contemplative character, in which human presence is sometimes only implied or entirely absent.