No title 62019 Painting

‘A good picture looks good even in the dark’ People live and exist by telling stories. But there is a place – before the words – that requires no explanation or description, a place where time and emotional space merge. Jaap van Geffen uses his art to open up to his viewer and offer them an experience of the unspoken that transcends all words. From his point of view, a picture is successful when ‘it detaches itself from the artist and exists independently. A good picture is even independent of the viewer and could hang in the dark and still be good.’ A work like this changes the medium of words. It opens a space on the canvas in the moment prior to the beginning of a story. Jaap van Geffen is a multifaceted artist with a diverse educational background, having studied Arabic, pedagogy, anthropology, and economics at the University of Amsterdam and the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences. His artistic journey includes formal training in drawing at the prestigious Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Currently residing in a beautifully converted hayloft in Het Gooi, Jaap devotes himself to painting and immersing in the works of fellow artists. While he finds the organization and sale of his art challenging, he recognizes their importance in sharing his creative vision with the world.