Nearly seven years ago, a solo show for the Dutch-American painter Johannes Kunst opened at the Jansen Art Center in Lynden. The opening date — Dec. 7, 2017 — fell exactly 60 years after the artist’s arrival in the United States. It also came just 29 days after his death.
The posthumous exhibition, “Imaginary Friendship in Retrospect,” was Johannes’ first show in Whatcom County, but he was no amateur. Rather, Johannes was a lifelong artist and well-known figure in West Coast and European art circles.
After his battle with lung cancer, the exhibitions came to a halt — but Johannes left behind thousands of paintings in storage to his wife, Harmanna. She couldn’t face them until April 2023, when she began cataloging the artworks at the urging of a friend.
One thing led to another, and now Johannes’ work is once again appearing on gallery walls.
Johannes is one of three artists featured in the upcoming “Color and Line: An Exploration by Three NW Artists” exhibition opening Saturday, Oct. 5 at Cordata Gallery, also featuring work by David Syre and Renee Noelle Cheesman.
A solo show of his work, “Hiding from the Nazis,” also closed Sunday, Sept. 29 at Seattle’s Center on Contemporary Art. It was curated by Matthew Kangas and even patronized by the Dutch Consulate of San Francisco.
All this is a point of pride for Harmanna, who is devoted to ensuring her husband’s art finds the audience it deserves. Johannes painted from the ‘60s until the year he died, using art as a means of reflection, healing and storytelling.
“You know, writers put stuff in a book and then they add stuff to it and make it an interesting story,” said Harmanna. “My husband does it in paintings. It’s his life story.”
Artistic inspiration
Johannes’ style has evolved through the decades, though certain elements — including bold palettes, figurative abstractions and a keen sense of humor — remained constant. He worked for various design firms throughout his life and even founded a greeting card line. His personal work, however, was inspired by humanitarian issues, current events and his own life.
Much of the work on view at CoCA was influenced by Johannes’ childhood experience hiding from Nazis in an attic amid World War II. “The war affected my whole life,” Johannes stated in the show’s program. “You never get rid of it. You live it every day. I must use my art to express my feelings and my deep compassion for humankind.”
Another series touches on how Johannes narrowly avoided being drafted into a doomed platoon during the Vietnam War. Others address events like the Chernobyl disaster, or issues like homelessness in Seattle and animal welfare.
Ultimately, Harmanna said her husband was driven by a sense of social purpose — both as an artist and a person.
“He was an environmentalist,” she continued. “He deeply cared for the people, and he was terrified about the world we’re living in right now. And he puts that all on paper, but with really nice, bright colors and very funny things in it as well.”
From the Netherlands to the U.S.
Johannes was born in Leeuwarden, Holland in 1938. He met Harmanna while camping as a teenager; despite living in separate cities, the two kept in touch through notes and postcards.
When Johannes was 19, he told Harmanna he was emigrating to the United States with his family (which at the time was like “going to the moon,” Harmanna noted). But Johannes swore to come back for her, and five years later, he kept that promise.
In 1965, Harmmana and Johannes were wed in a beautiful ceremony complete with carriages and white horses. They stayed married 53 years, welcoming three children and four grandchildren along the way.
Johannes’ first job was as a photographer for a local paper in the Netherlands, though the couple returned to the U.S. Johannes studied graphic design at Glendale College and ultimately became the art director for Los Angeles city planning.
In 1989, the Kunsts moved to Seattle, where Johannes opened his own gallery. The following decade, they moved back to the Netherlands for what Harmanna describes as the “amazing years.” Johannes became a registered Dutch artist and even connected with an art dealer, who handled advertising and sales.
“I would just go to the shows, and they would give me the flowers because I was the wife. I liked it; I didn’t have to do [anything],” Harmanna joked. ”But now, I am the art dealer!”
Johannes and Harmanna ultimately retired in Blaine in 2002 to be close to their children. Harmanna became involved with the Jansen Art Center jury, whereas Johannes continued painting until the end of his life.
Cordata Gallery exhibition
Now Bellingham residents won’t have to travel far to see Johannes’ work in person. Eleven of his works are on view at Cordata Gallery’s “Color and Line,” appearing alongside more than 100 dynamic drawings from Syre, plus paintings and a massive site-specific installation by Cheesman.
The three artists come from varied backgrounds, though Cordata Gallery Marketing and Sales Director Sarah Corona noted their works are cohesive thanks to vibrant colors and spontaneous linework. In Johannes’ case, “Color and Line” highlights work from the ‘70s and ‘80s, a period wherein he “developed a distinctive approach characterized by fine lines and colorful, graphic elements” per the show’s program.
The program likens Johannes to artists such as Joan Miró, Paul Klee, and Niki de Saint Phalle. And while some paintings touch on complex themes, they are “tempered by a sense of whimsy and imagination, drawing viewers into a fantastical world that is both visually captivating and intellectually engaging.”
This depth of talent is exactly what Harmanna hopes to share with audiences. She catalogs Johannes’ paintings and keeps exhibition records, news clippings, invoices and other documents in meticulously-organized binders. Her Birch Bay condo doesn’t allow her the space she needs to work, so at age 82, she’s in the market for a bigger house.
And while she’s received plenty of support from friends and artists alike, Harmanna herself has spearheaded these efforts. She’s even planning another solo show at Blaine’s Great Blue Heron Grill this winter — and, unlike the preceding exhibitions, she’ll be the one to curate it.
“I waited until last year, but now I’m really into it,” Harmanna said. “I want the people to see his stuff, because he was an amazing artist.”
“Color and Line: An Exploration by Three NW Artists” is on view from Oct. 5–Jan. 25, 2025. Cordata Gallery is open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday–Saturday and by appointment. Info: cordatagallery.com.
Editor’s note: Cordata Gallery owner David Syre is the sole owner of Cascadia Daily News.
Cocoa Laney is CDN’s lifestyle editor; reach her at cocoalaney@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 128.