Interview

Where are you from and where do you live now?

From Holland. I was born in Oudewater, a small village that we call a city, because in medieval times they built a marketplace, canals and a city wall. Now I live in Dordrecht. About my family, my father is called Willem. And my great-great-grandfathers name was Willem, as is my son’s name. We are a family of barbers and grave diggers. My mother’s family is Zeeuws (Zeelandic) and my great-great-grandmother was Jewish. They were a family of land surveyors and skippers, and all were Calvinists.

What inspires you the most?

Anything. But what I really like is raw herring.

Your paintings are all so different yet all hold the same powerful energy – what do you think of when you paint? /How do you come up with your concepts?

No no. Concepts, no. I aim to think of nothing. Wish that was easy.

What is your favorite piece/series you have ever done?

I made a series of works in my student room in Maastricht. There I met my wife. I was incredibly in love and made a series of works in red and yellow, to adore her.

Which artist/designer is your biggest influence?

This is not about an artist,

I live on the ground where the city wall used to be. And behind that wall there is a river - just like the house where I was born and grew up in, next to the water. And my studio is located in the oldest part of this city, on a street that has acted as a dike. I think origin, threat and safety- could be my biggest influence.

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