Vincent van Ojen

Dutch artist Vincent van Ojen  is a master of the woodcut technique. Through his years of research and experience, he knows how to exploit this medium and get the most out of it. This leads to free, complex and picturesque images. The woodcut is the ideal technique for working with color. Vincent van Ojen thinks from the color that must take shape in his composition, and not the other way around a shape that takes color. The layering in shape and color, the structure of the wood and the overlapping of the color areas are reflected in many capacities in his work due to the specific properties of the woodcut technique.

He often uses the so-called 'lost technique'. This means that after each print he cuts away a portion and then uses a different color. After pressing a few times, the wooden board is finished and the print is ready. The use of this technique does mean that nothing can go wrong during the printing process. In that case, the entire circulation would be lost.

The apparently effortless woodcuts demonstrate a very high degree of control. The expressive works look cheerful and fresh. He often chooses landscapes and still lifes as subjects for his colorful compositions. For Vincent van Ojen it essentially does not matter what he depicts, ultimately he abstracts everything. His works are explanations of visual matters that show that as an artist he actually thinks abstractly. The fact that these compositions can subsequently be recognized is secondary to him. His painterly approach has become Vincent's trademark and for this he was rewarded with the Dutch Graphics Prize in 1992.

Vincent van Ojen studied graphics at the Art Academy of 's-Hertogenbosch. He has been a visual artist by profession since 1984. His work is part of international collections.