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VISIONARY REVUE
ALPES MARITIMES
1962 - 1973
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It was during this period that Johfra met Ellen Lórien, who had studied painting at the Grande Chaumière in Paris for several years. Initially, she was a friend of Diana’s from the Lectorium. She even lived with the couple for a time to learn their old masters’ techniques. When Johfra’s relationship with Diana fell apart, he followed Ellen to Amsterdam. They eventually married in 1973.
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JOHFRA AND ELLEN LORIEN
ON THE COTE D'AZURE
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In 1964, Johfra and Ellen built a small wooden cabin in Aspremont, a mountainous region in the South of France. Thus began his self-imposed exile from his native Holland, which was to last for the remainder of his life.
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ELLEN LORIEN BEFORE THEIR WOODEN CABIN
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The hut where they lived was small: one room loaded with books, a bunk bed, canvases and a cat. To stand back from his painting, Johfra had to go out the door. Nevertheless, the two artists lived happily in these small confines, producing work after work.
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INSIDE THE CABIN
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While he continued to expose his paintings at Galerie Mokum in Amsterdam, Johfra also had his first French exhibitions in 1966 - first in Cannes, then in Monaco. Soon after, he had his first Paris exhibition in the bookstore gallery Le Soleil dans la Tête on rue Vaugirard.
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