Thursday, the Glasappliqué under The Groot Handelshuis was officially unveiled by councilor Kirsten de Wrede (culture). Until recently, however, the identity of the artist was unknown. A few weeks ago, Kunstpunt Groningen issued a call in hopes of learning more about the creator. This call yielded many tips, several of which pointed towards one person: Jos Esser.
Jos Esser, born in 1936 in The Hague, worked as a decorator and graphic designer at V&D in Groningen. In addition to his daily work, Esser also received other commissions. For example, in 1964 he created a poster for the anniversary exhibition of the University of Groningen on the occasion of its 355th anniversary.
Esser was inspired by architecture and admired architects such as Le Corbusier and Constant Nieuwenhuis. At the age of fifty, Esser moved to Belgium. "He continued designing, sketching, and drawing until his death in 2011," says his sister-in-law Els Schuch. "In the eyes of family, friends, and colleagues, Jos was a progressive designer."
The Glasappliqué is now owned by MWPO. More information about the Glasappliqué can be found here.