Justus Donker (XX) - Holy Skin

Original work by Justus Donker
Mixed media on thick paper
Hand-signed on the front.

A distinctive and authentic work by artist Justus Donker, executed on leather or skin-like material, which gives the piece a unique physical and nearly ritual appearance. The organic form of the support enhances the raw and direct character of the composition.
Depicted is a spiritual feminine figure with religious associations, framed by expressive contour lines and crowned with a bird motif. The strong color contrasts of deep red, blue, gold and white give the work an iconic presence that evokes folk art, religious iconography and outsider art.
Through the combination of primitive expression and contemporary painting, an intriguing object emerges between painting and artifact. The work possesses a strong handmade energy and a very distinctive visual language.
A striking and rare art object for lovers of neo-expressionism, outsider art, spiritual art and raw contemporary painting.
Technique: Acrylic/mixed media on leather
Style: Neo-expressionism / Outsider Art / Contemporary Art
Signed: Yes, hand-signed and dated (2020)
Condition: Good condition with natural irregularities appropriate to the material and character of the work

Donker came to prominence in the early 1990s as a member of the group After Nature, of which he was a part from 1989 until the group dissolved in 1995. Other members included Peter Klashorst, Jurriaan van Hall, Bart Domburg and Ernst Voss. The first After Nature exhibition with Donker took place in 1990 at the Seasons Gallery in The Hague. In the following years, members of this group visited the United States several times to participate in exhibitions and painting performances.
With his painter brothers Gijs Donker (1964) and Aad Donker (1967-1998), who were also members of After Nature, he became known as one of ‘the Donker brothers’. After the death of his brother Aad, Donker stopped painting for several years and moved to Wehe-den Hoorn in the province of Groningen. In 2009 he moved back to Leiden, where he grew up.