W. Rossen

W. Rossen is a groundbreaking artist at the forefront of the ultra-contemporary art movement.

Biography of W. Rossen

W. Rossen was born in 1995. His education journey began in 2016 at the renowned Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam. In 2019, seeking further growth and artistic development, W. Rossen decided to join the prestigious Städelschule in Frankfurt. Under the guidance of the esteemed artist Willem de Rooii, W. Rossen delved deeper into his art practice. In 2023, he enrolled in De Ateliers, located in the vibrant artistic hub of Amsterdam. Currently, he lives in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

W. Rossen is an accomplished artist who has made a notable impact on the contemporary art scene through his impressive solo exhibition and participation in various group shows. He has participated in numerous group shows, including Absolventenausstellung, Frankfurt am Main; Onder, Diez, Amsterdam; Städelschule, Rundgang, Frankfurt am Main (2022); Projektraum, 32 App 42, London; Jo-Anne, mit fruendliche grussen, Frankfurt am Main; Tilde, Titele, Rezi van Lankveld, Gabriele Adomaityte, Amsterdam (2021); Städelschule, Rundgang, Frankfurt am Main (2020); Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Graduation show, Amsterdam (2019).

W. Rossen was nominated for the Jan Sluijters Prize (2019) and the Royal Painting Prize of the Netherlands (2022). 

"Ostend": W. Rossen's Exhibition

In his inaugural solo exhibition at Wschód, W. Rossen presented a compelling collection of five new works. The exhibition, titled "Ostend," carries a twofold allusion: it references both the area in Frankfurt where Rossen resided and the hometown of one of his influential inspirations, James Ensor. Another reference in the exhibition is Åsgårdstrand, a Norwegian city immortalized by Edvard Munch in 1902.

"Åsgårdstrand" shows a street from Munch's painting, but Rossen introduced two significant twists to it. Firstly, he transformed the background elements into white reliefs, rendering them nearly unrecognizable except for the shadows they cast. This alteration added an air of mystery and intrigue to the composition. Secondly, Rossen erased Munch's human figures entirely, replacing them with enigmatic, inanimate objects. The foreground became populated with these objects, such as a peculiarly designed movie camera adorned with unusual levers.

Among the captivating pieces in the exhibition, one work, "Engewormer," stands out—the broken yet functional wheel, which Rossen quotes from Jan van Goyen's seventeenth-century painting, "Landscape with an Oak." This intriguing wheel motif appears in both Rossen's "Engewormer" and "Åsgårdstrand."

Through his meticulous technique and astute attention to detail, W. Rossen creates a visual narrative that invites viewers to ponder the significance of objects, the interplay of light and shadow, and the power of absence. With "Ostend," Rossen demonstrates his ability to infuse classical references with contemporary sensibilities, leaving a lasting impression on the art world. As his artistic journey unfolds, W. Rossen continues to push the boundaries of his craft, captivating audiences with his thought-provoking and visually striking creations.