Yvonne Willemse (b. 1967) is a contemporary Dutch artist who lives and works in Breda. Her mostly monochrome, small-format works are characterized by a minimalist and geometric aesthetic. At first glance, Willemse’s compositions appear austere, sober and orderly. Yet despite, or perhaps because of this, her works convey a peaceful, almost meditative clarity and tranquility.
Working in her studio provides Willemse with moments of inner awareness and reflection. Her artistic process is introspective and characterized by an intense dialogue between emotions and conceptual questions. She is constantly searching for the perfect combination of geometric shapes and monochrome surfaces. Her art is a way for her to find a deeply rooted sense of connection beyond the boundaries of everyday life.
Her creative process often begins with a self-written short story, which inspires her to explore spatial constructions and use them as a starting point for her work. Initially, she creates collages, relying entirely on her intuition. She then develops some of these collages into oil paintings on wood or drawings on paper. Her approach is methodical: by carefully applying many thin layers of pigment, she develops a fragile-looking texture – sometimes matte, sometimes slightly glossy. The deliberately limited color palette, predominantly in shades of black, gray and white, is not a limitation for her, but rather emphasizes the visual impact of the works.
The art of Yvonne Willemse is a profound exploration of the boundaries of geometric form and monochrome color palette – an exploration of stillness and order, light and shadow, form and structure. Her distinctive approach constantly invites the viewer to re-evaluate the space between stillness and expression.
Geometric, minimalist art offers me structure, freedom and a sense of belonging to people I care about. It doesn’t have to be more.
