William Monk

Monk paints enigmatic and vibrant works, using starkly divisional compositions and often works in extensive series that gradually evolve over time. The canvases carry irregular intensities of detail, line, foreground and background, a sense of repetition breaks down the figuration, creating visual mantras. This rhythm happens throughout Monk’s work, surrendering figurative logic to arrive at something stranger and more powerful. Atmospheric and energetic, these paintings invite a more direct physical connection, drawing in the space between our inner and outer realms of experience.

Monk was awarded the Koninklijke Prijs voor Vrije Schilderkunst (Royal Award for Painting) and the Jerwood Contemporary Painters award. His work has been exhibited at Fries Museum, Leeuwarden; Gemeentemuseum, The Hague; Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam; GRIMM, Amsterdam; James Cohan Gallery, New York; and Kohn Gallery, Los Angeles. His work can also be found in the collections of the Gemeentemuseum, The Hague; AKZO Nobel, Amsterdam; David Roberts Art Foundation, London; Fries Museum, Leeuwarden; ING, Amsterdam, and in many private collections.