Convict turned artist may steal show
AFTER LIVING a life of crime since the age of 12, when he was first sent to a juvenile correctional facility, Willem Vries has beaten the odds and has now become a noted artist.
Vries has spent most of his life incarcerated after being convicted of multiple charges of housebreaking and robbery.
He grew up in the rural town of Riebeek West in deplorable social conditions, surrounded by domestic violence, crime, alcohol and drug abuse.
Despite this, Vries developed exceptional artistic skills, but, given his circumstances, he hasn’t found the right platform to showcase his work. He has numerous sketches all over his room in his family home, many resembling mythical scenes or scenes from the Bible.
Now Vries has received an opportunity in the form of an art event.
will be held in Riebeek Valley this weekend.
It’s a collaboration between artists, curators and galleries, and allows art lovers and collectors to visit artists in their most intimate spaces: their homes or studios.
“Not only do I wish to derive an income from my art, but I also would love to share my talent with other people from our impoverished communities, particularly the youth. I wish to give hope and inspiration to children so they don’t fall into the same cycle of crime as I did,” Vries said.
features 16 established artists in their studios, and an additional five group exhibitions, which includes 12 authors and six photographers. About 500 people are set to attend the event this weekend.
While in prison, Vries taught other inmates to draw. “I was an art teacher,” he said. Vries said sketching was a way of expressing himself.
“A lot of things inspire me – the circumstances of people and the surroundings. It’s how I express myself,” he said. –