Following in the artistic footsteps of both his father and grandfather, John Cluysenaar initially delved into sculpture, establishing a studio in Uccle, Belgium. His prowess in this medium garnered him recognition when, in 1924, he secured a shared First Prix de Rome and the Godecharle Prize. Cluysenaar travelled extensively in Europe, including to France and Italy on study trips, but settled in the UK during the Second World War. The family relocated to Kirkcudbright in Scotland, and after the death of his father, Cluysenaar had now turned to painting, abandoning his sculptural practice.
With a focus on both contour and rhythm, his work included both abstract post-expressionist pieces as well as figurative oils and life sketches in ink and graphite. Cluysenaar showed at the Glasgow Institute of Fine Arts, International Society of Sculptors, Painters & Gravers, the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool and at the Royal Academy, London. After the war, he returned to Belgium and lived the rest of his life there. He died in 1986 in Noville-sur-Mehaigne, a small town about 35 miles south-east of Brussels.
