Jo Joosten was born in 1956 in Maasbracht (Limburg). Because he discovered early on that he is creative, he has been drawing since his childhood and on top of that did so with pleasure. After high school, Jo chose the Tehatex training in Nijmegen (from 1976-1982), after which he eventually becomes a visual arts teacher.

Painting is increasingly experienced by Jo as the ultimate form of freedom so he decides to fully focus fully on painting.

"There I am, ‘condemned’ to my own imagination and 'stuck' with the responsibility to give meaning to these scenes. Of course I, as a painter, do not want to steer the spectator too much and leave open as many different interpretations as possible. Anyone can recognize shapes from his emotions, moods and feelings and put his own imagination to work. Themes such as fertility, growth and death are common in my work and there are often references to human anatomy and fertility. I am fascinated by the relationship between the erotic aspect and dying, death - wonder about life and death is one of the principles in my work. Often there are parallels with human reproduction: the encompassing nature of the uterus, but also fantastic and unexpected scenarios in a world characterized by alienation. The scenes are symbolic, absurd, sometimes humorous, and they reflect the fragile beauty of the power of yesteryear. I paint the reality and while that is very closely approached, my paintings are only realistic in detail, but not as a whole.

If you have any questions , you can always mail me

Portfolio: