Photo made by Dustin James

MEET BRENT WIERSMA

Brent Wiersma (2000) is a Dutch/English contemporary visual artist mainly focusing on ceramic sculptures and paintings. Brent’s works are best categorized as mixed-media. He is prolific in creating abstract, organic forms, diverse as well as focused color pallets, and bodies of work that collectively make up the experiences the artist has during a period of creation and production. Brent’s ability to conduct his visual creation through continuous sessions of experimentation with material, i.e. paint, medium, and size, has provided him a wide latitude of expressive elements to his work. Aside from the abstract and expressive forms he paints and sculpt, he translates his experience into final form. Brent paints with intuïtion, allowing lines and color areas to guide him as he creates an ambiance, a symbolism. Self-expression, mental health, disabilities and social-political themes are often reflected in his work in a surrealistic, expressionistic and abstract style.

The abstract and expressive images encourage the viewers to explore their own emotions and thoughts.

Art Process

Before I start a new ceramic work, I try to visualize my idea on paper beforehand by making sketches and concept art of the work I want to make. After I have some idea of what I want to make, I start modelling. After drying and firing, I often have no idea what colors I want to paint or glaze the sculpture. As a result, I then make color sketches, and I make a selection based on those color sketches what color the sculpture is going to be. I am more inclined to paint and then finish with stone varnish than to glaze them. Glazing is a craftsmanship in itself, a skill that I don’t think I have mastered very well yet.

Drowning in Sorrow

Chamotte Clay, porcelain paint (acrylic), stone varnish gloss, size N/A

Painting process of “Drowing in Sorrow” 2022

Work

At the moment I work as a participant-artist at Atelier de Kunstvlieg in The Hague. Atelier de Kunstvlieg offers its participants a variety of creative and artistic activities. The participants are people with a mental, physical and/or social-emotional disability, who do not participate in the regular labor market.

Atelier de Kunstvlieg gives me the freedom and the possibilities to work and experiment with as much material and mediums as possible and to exhibit my works of art. This allows me to improve my skills and grow as an artist.

Experience

CV

Education

vmbo-t/MAVO – 2013
Picasso Lyceum – Zoetermeer, Netherlands
vmbo-t/MAVO – 2017
Pc Hooftcollege, Vso – Leiderdorp, Netherlands

Jobs

Visual artist – 2019
Atelier de Kunstvlieg – The Hague, Netherlands

Exhibitions

2022

‘Masking Through Life’, solo, at Atelier de Kunstvlieg
September 2022, The Hague, Netherlands

2023

Panel discussion, Represented by NO LIMITS! ART CASTLE, The Grand Palace of Everyone at Nest
April 2023, The Hague, Netherlands
Ceramics Show, Collaboration, NO LIMITS! ART CASTLE and Gerrit Rietveld Academy
May 2023, Amsterdam, Netherlands

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