A FIVE-MONTH SOLO EXHIBITION

PASSIE FOR ART & DESIGN.

27 MARCH–31 AUGUST 2026

From 27 March to 31 August 2026, Passie for Art & Design brought Willem Vos’s paintings into the interior settings of Wiechers Wonen in Dwingeloo. The five-month presentation became his first solo exhibition in the Netherlands.

The project grew from The Passion 2026 in Dwingeloo. Rather than illustrating the biblical story literally, five new paintings explored the human emotions beneath it: hope, love, betrayal, connection, loss, forgiveness and resilience.

Visitors experiencing Willem Vos’s paintings within the interior settings of Wiechers Wonen during Passie for Art & Design.

ART IN DIALOGUE WITH DESIGN

MORE THAN A VENUE.

Wiechers Wonen was more than a location. The exhibition grew from the mutual trust shared by Willem Vos, Hilbert Wiechers and Connie Wiechers. Connie’s eye for interior design was central to the presentation, bringing the paintings into carefully composed settings of furniture, light, colour and material.

Art and design did not compete for attention. They strengthened one another. The paintings added another layer of tension and character to the interiors, while the interiors changed how the art was experienced. During the five months, sold works made way for new paintings, allowing the exhibition to keep changing.

THE PASSIE SERIES

WHERE TENSION TAKES FORM.

At the centre of the exhibition were five new paintings: The Shepherd, Strong Mother, Your Image, Judas and The Light. Rooted in The Passion, they were never intended as literal religious illustrations.

Across the series, human figures emerge through physical brushwork, raw structures and forceful contrasts. The images remain recognisable but unresolved, leaving room for each viewer’s own experience.

Strong Mother (Sterke Moeder), an oil painting by Willem Vos from the 2026 Passie series.
Visitors viewing a painting from Willem Vos’s Passie series at Wiechers Wonen in Dwingeloo.
A painting from Willem Vos’s Passie series displayed within an interior setting at Wiechers Wonen.
A visitor viewing a detail of Willem Vos’s Passie series during his solo exhibition in Dwingeloo.

Selected works and installation views from the Passie series. Oil on canvas, 2026.

THE OPENING

AN INDEPENDENT VIEW.

The exhibition opened on 27 March 2026 in the presence of visitors and invited guests, including art historian Harry Tupan, King’s Commissioner for the province of Drenthe Agnes Mulder and Mayor of Westerveld Jouke Spoelstra.

During the opening, Tupan shared his perspective on Willem Vos’s painting style and artistic development.

Willem Vos’s work shows a surprising combination of abstraction and figuration within a harmonious colour palette. His work challenges the viewer to reflect and contemplate.

HARRY TUPAN
Art historian and former director of the Drents Museum

Translated from Dutch.

Art historian Harry Tupan viewing a painting by Willem Vos during the opening of Passie for Art & Design.

WATCH THE OPENING

PASSIE FOR ART & DESIGN, OPENING NIGHT.

A short film capturing the opening of Willem Vos’s first solo exhibition in the Netherlands at Wiechers Wonen in Dwingeloo.

IN THE MEDIA

PRESS & PERSPECTIVES.

Two regional newspapers followed Passie for Art & Design from its opening through to its final weeks, each offering a different perspective on the exhibition and the collaboration behind it.


MEPPELER COURANT

WHEN ART AND INTERIOR FIND EACH OTHER.

Peter Nefkens looks back on five months of Passie for Art & Design and the chemistry that shaped the collaboration between Willem Vos and Wiechers Wonen.

26 AUGUST 2026 · ARTICLE IN DUTCH

READ AT MEPPELER COURANT →


DAGBLAD VAN HET NOORDEN

FROM THE PASSION TO THE CANVAS.

Ahead of the opening, Dagblad van het Noorden visited Willem Vos and explored how five new paintings grew from the human emotions beneath The Passion.

26 MARCH 2026 · ARTICLE IN DUTCH

READ AT DVHN →

The Shepherd by Willem Vos on view at the Municipality of Westerveld’s town hall in Diever.

The Shepherd (De Herder) at the Municipality of Westerveld, Diever, 2026.

CURRENTLY ON VIEW

THE SHEPHERD CONTINUES.

Created as part of the Passie series, The Shepherd (De Herder) remains on view at the Municipality of Westerveld’s town hall in Diever through the end of 2026.

Visitors are advised to check the municipality’s current access arrangements before travelling.

MUNICIPALITY OF WESTERVELD
Raadhuislaan 1
7981 EL Diever
The Netherlands

 

VISITING INFORMATION →

EXPLORE MORE

THE STORY CONTINUES IN THE WORK.

Discover available paintings and recent works by Willem Vos.

VIEW THE WORK →