Johfra

Johfra

Franciscus Johannes Gijsbertus Van Den Berg

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Updated: 22/03/2006

This page is dedicated to Johfra Bosschart, a Dutch artist and close friend of the Haye family. Johfra and Ellen Lorien settled in Fleurac, (Dordogne) France in 1962. Ellen still resides and continues her art there. Works of Johfra are frequently exhibited in "Gallery Utrecht", Utrecht, Netherlands (exclusive representatives) and an exposition of his works was held in Hoorn, Netherlands from 6 October - 25 November 2001, which we attended. Introductions where given by Gerrit Luidinga and Ernst Fuchs.

A new book "Hoogste lichten en diepsteschaduwen" by Gerrit Luidinga, came out October, 2001.(ISBN 90 215 8904 4 Kosmos-Z&K Publishers , Utrecht/Antwerp) A museum of fantastic art dedicated to Johfra, is planned for completion in 2003, in the center of the Netherlands, near Utrecht. A foundation has been created by friends and collectors and this foundation is helping Ellen, to realize all these projects. More information will be available later on this page. Johfra autobiography "Symphony Fantastique", ISBN: 90 804422016 (de Verbeelding/Woerden) is out since 1998.

Visits to the "Gallery La Licorne", for viewing works of Ellen Lorien and Johfra, are possible by appointment only. Write to: "Gallery La Licorne" - Le Peuch - Plazac, 24580 Rouffignac, France.

Jack and I visited Ellen and Johfra in February 1998 on our way back to Brussels from a visit to the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. Jack came over for a break from the filming of "The Phantom Menace" in London.

Willi, Liesbeth and I, revisited Ellen and Frans a few months later, when Willi came over for a medical symposium and it was the last time we saw Johfra. He looked great and was working on at least five different projects. Little did we know, that illness had been eating away at him for some time already. I had taken a portrait of Frans, which was to be used in his biography and he looked great. Uncle Frans died a few months later. We all miss him, but his memory will live on forever in his works, spread out over the world. If only Vincent could have lived from his art and enjoyed life in the French countryside, like Frans did, and Ellen still does!

Ellen, with her friends Chris and Ronald, stopped over for Christmas (1998) dinner with us on the way back to Fleurac. We had been with them a few days earlier for the opening of the Johfra retrospective exposition in Utrecht, Netherlands.

Johfra described his works as; "Surrealism based on studies of psychology, religion, the Bible, astrology, antiquity, magic, witchcraft, mythology and occultism".

Photography with Olympus IS3000 and Canon IXUS cameras. Photos copyright Jesse Haye. All photos of artwork copyright Johfra Bosschart - Ellen Lorien, and where indicated, Jack and Diana Haye.

Sebastien, Ellen, Ronald, Chris and Elisabeth, for Christmas lunch in Huldenberg, 25/12/1998.