Willem was born in post-war Rotterdam to an Italian father who owned a demolition business and a Dutch mother whose family ran a grocery store. Growing up in a city being rebuilt from the devastation of war, Willem’s early experiences influenced his art, particularly his memories of the flat wasteland and the skeletal remains of buildings. He spent his childhood exploring museums, studying art, and cycling to coastal spots, all while being deeply influenced by his paternal and maternal heritage, which connected him to both Renaissance and Dutch masters.

Despite training as an electrician, Willem’s passion for painting led him to take up various odd jobs that offered him creative inspiration. He worked in places like a meat factory, where he collected animal skulls for his art, and an onion factory, where he befriended a professor of literature. His jobs often involved machines, transport, and manufacturing, which further fuelled his artistic endeavours.

Willem’s artistic journey was marked by a deep interest in the basics of life, which he explored through his paintings of food, nature, and everyday objects. He was heavily influenced by literature, folk tales, and the works of artists like Breughel and Hieronymus Bosch. Although he was passionate about his art, he rarely showed or sold his work, preferring to keep his creations private. His works, often divided into themes of “Sayings,” “Speeding,” and “Sittings,” captured a range of subjects, from proverbs and transportation to portraits, including both anonymous figures and famous personalities.

Willem often included his wife, Pauline, in his works. A poet herself, Pauline and Willem would create side by side in the same room. She would frequently read her poetry aloud, never certain if Willem was truly listening. But then she would glance at his canvas and discover that he had subtly woven elements of her poetry into his compositions, reflecting a deep, silent connection between their creative worlds.