Willeke Klaassen
Hattem, The Netherlands
Take a breath and simply be. Slow down. Find healing and peace, far from pressure, obligations, and the need for more.
That is what Willeke Klaassen seeks in nature, in the woods near her home, where she is frequently found, and in her wonderful flower filled garden.
The artist expresses this experience in her work, giving it shape and color. With great passion, she creates a connection with her surroundings—what she sees, feels, smells, and breathes. In her exploration of space, time, and form, she reveals a delicate beauty through organic lines.
Through eco-printing, embroidery, and felt, the artist allows nature to materialise on fabric. The work unfolds in layers: paint, fabric, and thread are added to her embroidery, playfully exuberant in color. In this way, Klaassen's work becomes a celebration of diversity in the contrast between natural and man-made materials.
In her sculptural pieces, she embroiders flower petals and tree leaves, or shapes forms from raw wool, which she cuts in pieces, then brought together again to form a connected unified shape.
The artist allows viewers of her work to add their own layer of thought. As such, these works are ever-changing, profound, and unique to each person.
Photographs: Wilma Wijnen en Esther Smit