John Der
(1926 - 1996)
Canadian painter
John Der was born in 1926 in Canora, Saskatchewan. He had a passion for painting since an early age, but he first worked as a sailor in the merchant navy. In 1946, he settled in Montreal, where he studied art at the School of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts from 1948 to 1951. During this time, he was taught by famous painters like Arthur Lismer, Adam-Sherrif Scott, and Jacques de Tonnancourt. After a few years of working as a comic book creator, he opened an insurance company while continuing to paint and draw. However, in 1982, he decided to focus entirely on painting. John Der's work is inspired by themes drawn from real-life experiences of people from different fields, such as those working at sea or in towns. His characters are carefully chosen and presented in a caricatured way, not meant to be represented idyllically. The posture or appearance of the characters exudes humour and strength. Through his works, John Der offers little stories and anecdotes of everyday life, filled with humour and tenderness, that make us rediscover the world around us.