Reclusive artist steps back in the limelight
Mt Tamborine’s hidden treasure decided time right to share his work
MEET Mt Tamborine’s hidden artistic phenomenon.
Jos Kivits – who found fame and fortune as a master artist in New Zealand and Sydney during the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s – has lived the life of a virtual recluse for the past 14 years, barely setting foot off his 2ha property let alone the mountain itself.
Now, having spent years behind closed doors doing what he loves most, the 72year-old has decided to once again share his incredible talents with the world.
“It’s extraordinary that very few people knew a master artist was living here, let alone have met him,” said Teresa Skirving, who owns Mt Tamborine’s Emala Fine Art Gallery and is co-hosting Kivits’ first solo exhibition since 2001.
“When he approached me (about an exhibition), I said ‘You’ve barely been outside in more than a decade, are you ready for the interest people will have in your life?’ and he said ‘Yes, it’s time’.
“He has hundreds of his paintings in storage and he just wants people to enjoy them.”
Kivits’ journey from highflying artist to Mt Tamborine hideaway had its genesis in the early 2000s when two global events inspired him to reimagine his future.
“I had a gut feeling the financial crisis was coming,” said the Dutch-born ‘Master Artist in Still Life’, an honour bestowed upon him by Belgium’s Academy of Fine Arts.
“Some galleries were saying I should discount my work but I couldn’t do that to those who had paid genuine prices. I’d rather just pack them away for a while.”
Then there was the September 11 terror attacks.
“We had a couple more years in Sydney after that but the world had changed,” he said. “Everyone was affected but our family decided we should be closer together.”
That decision saw Kivits and wife Lydia move to Mt Tamborine in 2004, with their four adult children, son-inlaw and daughter-in-law now living in homes on the picturesque property.
It is also a property the master artist has barely left since he arrived.
“I couldn’t do it anymore,” he said of the outside world.
“We used to visit another couple at Boonah once a year but we haven’t been for years. I can’t remember the last time I left the mountain.
“I freak out when we drive anywhere. I see the shops and the hustle and bustle.
“I went to the dentist once
I DON’T LET GO OF MY PAINTINGS EASILY BUT THEY NEED TO BE SEEN AND ENJOYED BY OTHERS. THEY NEED TO HANG.
JOS KIVITS
and they had to blindfold me because of the speed of the car. It was too fast.”
Ms Skirving added: “The other day I took him to see where the exhibition will be and it was quite emotional. Watching him react to the changing scene was amazing.”
“It took me days to get over it,” Kivits laughed.
Some people would suggest he’s missing out on life? “Not at all,” he said. “I watch the news. I’m interested in what’s happening in the world. I write and I’ve got a good library. I spend a lot of time in my books.
“I’m happy. My world is physically small but in here (points to his head) it is big.
“This is all the physical space I need because in my mind there are no boundaries of time or place. I’m happy to go back to the Roman period or the 17th century – but definitely not the 21st century.”
So why step back into it with an exhibition of almost 50 of his works? Most of all, why agree to attend its opening night on April 12 at Heritage Wines’ Heritage Gallery?
“I think it’s the challenge of making that leap to what I used to do,” Kivits said.
“There are still beautiful homes that need beautiful paintings ... and for the first time in my life, I think I’ve reached the point where I’m happy with the end-results.
“I don’t let go of my paintings easily but they need to be seen and enjoyed by others. They need to hang.”