
Job Klijn

I am, delicately yours $2,900 framed Status: Available
Job Klijn came to New Zealand in 1988. Klijn says the stories he tells in his paintings are not just his own, but they come from his French wife, friends and other immigrants that he has met.
“Sometimes I walk around and I feel as though I am not really here. Things can get a bit blurred as an immigrant.”
All of Klijn’s materials are recycled. He uses old house paint, varnish and stains to build heavy textures, painting on hardboards, floorboards, pallet wood or anything he can get his hands on. Soil, string, a rusty hinge and an old tap also make it into his works. He says he loves old.
“I love recycling, the whole principle of it is fantastic. It’s like when you walk into a new suburb and to me there is nothing there, it’s just new. But then there’ll be an old falling down shed somewhere and it has a past and a history. People are trying to get perfection, but for me it’s the opposite.”
Klijn says he starts his paintings with a layering and then goes on to add other elements, outlines and sometimes figures.
“The background is crucial and I often procrastinate about adding anything else. Tracing is the most enjoyable time. I put on music and go into my own La La land. It’s great and it enhances the feeling of texture. I have a strong affinity with texture.”