Leon Janssen (born 1951) studied Monumental Design at the Stadsacademie in Maastricht. Around 1980, he began creating color woodcuts using the elimination technique. In this method, all colors are printed sequentially from a block, so only in the final printing (black), you know if the print is successful. In addition to woodcuts, Janssen also creates oil paintings. A recurring theme in his work is the man-woman relationship. Within a Hollywood-like dream world, he depicts love, passion, envy, and jealousy. However, as a viewer, you don't fully understand what is happening in his paintings. His figures linger in an atmosphere of tension, intrigue, and anonymity.

He is often compared to Matisse in terms of color and composition, which is considered highly honorable. "Matisse was intensely involved with the rhythm of the human figure. Besides rhythm, color is important in his work. When you try to stop a rhythm or place it in a composition, and it doesn't matter whether it is true to nature or not, you quickly end up with deformations that go in the direction of Matisse."

There is always a subtle jab, a negative element, or an irritating factor. The theme of his work consists of razor-sharp analyses of human relationships, often focusing on the tension between men and women. However, the women in his work are not helpless beings; they emerge as winners, leaving the men bewildered. The figures in Janssen's work serve as the foundation for constructing an image and are inherently abstract.