Jo Frenken

Jo Frenken is a visual artist, graphic designer and teacher based in Maastricht, The Netherlands. His conceptually driven practice explores books, printing, scientific methods, systems and near-duplicates. He usually develops projects as books, with exhibitions often serving as spatial translations of these publications.
His long involvement with the Jan van Eyck Academie in Maastricht, where he worked in various print-related positions and supervised artists in the graphic workshops, strongly influenced his practice. Reproduction, repetition, variation and classification remain central to his work.

Frenken initially studied architecture at Eindhoven University of Technology before turning to monumental art, painting and graphic arts at the Maastricht School of the Arts. He subsequently studied mixed media and graphic arts at the Jan van Eyck Academie. In 2011, he established the Printing & Publishing Lab at the Jan van Eyck Academie, specializing in stencil-based printing techniques. He also initiated and organized the Magical Riso Biennial, an international gathering of artists and experts working with stencil printing.

Since retiring, Frenken has focused primarily on his own artistic practice. He occasionally teaches, gives workshops and lectures, particularly on artists’ books, and remains affiliated with the Jan van Eyck Academie as a volunteer expert.

Represented by Marieke Severens Gallery (Maastricht) and einBuch.haus (Berlin)

Exhibition
April 30 - June 5, 2027, TBC, einBuch.haus 

Publishing project
Calendar 2025, einBuch.haus, 2024

(Image: exhibition view - Jo Frenken, Gravity, B32 Art Space, Maastricht: 2023)