Will Willemsen

Wil Willemsen Place of birth: Amsterdam (1943) Studied at the European Academy in Trier; took courses and completed internships at the Van Gogh Museum workshop in Amsterdam. In her painting, she focuses not so much on the individual and his or her specific character traits, but rather on the relationships between people; the interaction between different people and (...more...) In her painting, she focuses not so much on the individual and his or her specific character traits, but rather on the relationships between people; the interaction between different people and the expressiveness of the body. Willemsen consciously opts for a hybrid style situated at the intersection of abstraction and figuration. The figures are recognizable as such, and their postures are discernible, but every “superfluous” detail is deliberately omitted. Wil Willemsen opts for the grand gesture. The contours of her figures are rendered in broad planes applied with a brush or palette knife. Layer upon layer, a vital suggestion of humanity—the lively communication between people—is evoked in paint on the flat surface in a spontaneous and intuitive manner. Her figures radiate emotions such as curiosity, jealousy, and resignation. Groups of people are bound together by bold rhythms of paint. Willemsen works with acrylic paint, which dries faster than oil—a medium that better suits her temperament. She chooses bright, primary colors, through which the artist expresses her positive outlook on life. In addition, the composition is open and clear. Red is her favorite color. The artist takes notes in the form of sketches. “Just look around in the theater lobby, on a terrace, during a meeting, at a party, or in a waiting room. You can tell from their postures that they are different personalities, each with their own aura and character. That became my challenge: Can I depict a group of people, each with their own unique expression? Can I show the relationships between them? Who is interested in each other, and who isn’t? And how do I capture that on canvas? It continues to inspire me.