Albert Willem, A beautiful jumping show, 2023

"Albert Willem is a Belgian artist who started painting at 36 and quickly established himself on lnstagram. His work broke out onto the auction market in May 2022 and rapidly peaked at $213,955 by the end of the Spring. In January 2023, a bidder pushed the artist's record to $295,219 at Sotheby's with The mountain air provided a pleasant atmosphere." - James Kerbey, Expert at Maddox Advisory


Why Albert Willem?

Belgium (1979)
Albert Willem, a contemporary figurative artist from Brussels, is renowned for his whimsical paintings characterized by a naive style infused with wit and humor. Despite lacking formal art training, he immersed himself in galleries, museums, and the art scenes on social media platforms. Although he showed talent for drawing in childhood, he set aside art from the ages of 12 to 36 due to university and family obligations. Approximately four years ago, he reignited his passion by creating a painting for his home decor, marking a turning point he amusingly refers to as a "midlife crisis."

Artistic Style
Over time, Willem has explored various mediums and techniques, ranging from nail polish to spray paint to textile art. Presently, he primarily utilizes acrylic paint with a high gloss varnish to achieve vibrant colors. While the majority of his works are on canvas, he also utilizes repurposed cardboard as a painting surface. His artistic process is rapid, often completing pieces within 48 hours at most.

About His Artwork
His paintings are straightforward, at times appearing unfinished, boldly showcasing his rudimentary technical skills while capturing the raw energy of a beginner unrestricted by artistic conventions. Depicting everyday life in a light-hearted yet ironic manner, his works frequently portray humorous moments, drawing inspiration from artists such as LS Lowry, James Ensor, and Breugel the Elder but infused with a contemporary twist. Willem has exhibited his works internationally in Germany, Russia, and Belgium.

The Infinite Conga
In January 2021, Willem embarked on a project to paint a 'never-ending conga line,' continuously adding more cardboard pieces adorned with dancing figures to extend its length. The artwork can be divided for sale, allowing buyers to own segments of the dance and participate in the art collectively.

Rising Star
Willem attributes much of his artistic journey to social media, spending hours daily observing and learning from fellow artists. He believes that exposure to new art continually evolves his own style, driving him to experiment with different themes and techniques.

Presence in Auctions
Willem's rapid ascent to fame has been remarkable, with his works consistently surpassing estimated values by significant margins. His debut painting, Pilgrim Street 8 (2021), sold for $69,000, far exceeding its estimated value of $8,000 to $12,000. His record sale, Snowbound (2021), fetched an astonishing $225,000 at Sotheby's Hong Kong, despite an estimate of $13,000 to $19,000. Half of the 14 works sold at auction in 2022 fetched over $150,000, despite modest estimates.

For the sale, the following two options are being considered:

• Private Sale: The painting is offered directly to private collectors of Willem's works.
• Auction: The painting will be offered as a single lot at an auction for contemporary art. This option is considered if the price has developed to the point where the minimum bid matches the market value and there is high demand for works by the artist.