Johannes Adrianus Smit JAS (1945, Antwerp – 19 July 2002) was a versatile Dutch artist, whose work occupies a prominent place within abstract expressionism. His oeuvre includes paintings, drawings, installations and experimental techniques, with which he distinguished himself through his creative versatility and innovative approach.
At the age of 17, Smit took his first steps in the art world at the Hillegom painting club Lijn en Kleur, where he worked with Henk Klinkhamer, among others. In 1986, he formed the art group Sybarit with Klinkhamer and Robert van Vliet. This collaboration marked the beginning of his artistic quest for new forms of expression.
During a period in Sweden, Smit worked in greenhouses for flower production, which inspired him to create his series Svensklandskappor. These landscape works, characterised by warm, yellow tones that reflect the Swedish spring, were sold locally and served as a stepping stone to his further artistic development. His travels to Germany fascinated him with German Expressionism, which had a lasting influence on his style.
In 1983, Smit settled permanently in Belgium. Here he began experimenting with new techniques and decided to make his own paint. This unique, soft paint gave his works a characteristic texture and made it possible to apply paint in an expressive way with a palette knife.
Around 1980, Smit developed a unique material: the so-called JAS chalk, also known as Clowny. According to Smit, this chalk was later used by renowned artists such as Willem de Kooning, with whom he worked for a short time, and Karel Appel. The inspiration for the chalk came from the bright colours of an airplane fire that he witnessed in 1979 at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago. Only with his own chalk was Smit able to capture the intensity of these colours on canvas.
In addition to paintings and drawings, Smit also created impressive installations and experimental compositions, often in collaboration with audiovisual and graphic artists such as Lode Cafmeyer.
Smit left behind a rich artistic legacy that continues to inspire. His experimental approach, unusual materials and emotionally charged works reveal an artist who pushed boundaries and added new dimensions to art. His work is considered a bridge between tradition and modernity, and remains an important contribution to abstract expressionism.
