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Jan Wisse
“La condition humaine”—the human condition—is central to my work, where I strive to present life’s complexities with a touch of humor and elements of unreality. My paintings reflect reality through my eyes.”
– Jan Wisse
17thcentury soldiers, pale mannequins, bumper cars and angels of heaven. In Jan Wisse’s paintings figures of past and present, reality and fantasy live next to each other. Within these seemingly fanciful works, one can feel reality to be more present than observed at first glance.
In composing these images, Jan Wisse examines human behavior in sociopolitical contexts, referencing the very small progress humanity has made over the centuries.
The works mirror this -often metaphorically- in its viewers’ faces.
The juxtaposition of seemingly unrelated and imaginative elements in the works contributes to a degree of ambiguity in the paintings. It challenges perceptions and invites viewers to reimagine the world.
Jan combines his academic training with contemporary techniques to masterfully craft compositions that reflect his keen observation and painterly exploration.
Born in Leiden, The Netherlands (1955)
Lives and works in Delft, The Netherlands
Jan’s work is deeply rooted in his exploration of “la condition humaine”. His paintings invite reflection on the human experience, offering subtle humor and alternative realities.
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“I tend to give the ordinary and sometimes dreary aspects of life a humorous twist, or turn it into an apparent unreality.”
Career Highlights​
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Graduated in Drawing, Painting, Sculpture, and Art History (ZWN Teachers’ College, Delft).
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Postgraduate studies in Art Philosophy, Art History, and Cultural History (Utrecht).
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Exhibited internationally in Europe, Asia, and the US, with extensive recognition in Singapore.
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Lecturer at De VAK – Centre of the Arts in Delft since 2005, nurturing the next generation of artists.​​
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Two National Television appearances in “Sterren op het doek”, painting Job Cohen (2012) and Tjitske Reidinga (2015).
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