
Francois Viljoen is a South African born artist, now lives in the south west part of Baden Württemberg, Germany. In many ways arts influenced and marked his life from the start. He was in a only Academic+Sport school with no art classes, This was quite frustrating, but then the creative process, esp. drawing, became a passion and big interest in his teenage years, following a long, weekly TV series called, “Quest for Romanticism”. He then started to draw, more and more. “It was like finding my call in life and meaning… Like bringing order to chaos, soul-wise“, he explains. Even as a teenager he communicated his experiences and understanding of life in graphics and sculptures. François paints mostly in oil, but also acrylic, sculpts with ceramic and plasticine clay, plaster, etc, casts in bronze or resin, and draws in many different media.
The inspiration for the The Bronze Bowl and Vessel collection, comes from a historical tradition through the ages, in many cultures, to fashion artistic vessels/bowls, using bronze. From e.g.. The “Singing Bowls” (Tibet, Japan, Nepal, etc.), the bronze bowls from the Ming dynasty, bowls/vessels from ancient Greece and Roman times to bronze bowls with Egyptian motives (found in 1849) in northern Iraq. My own Bronze Bowl/Vessel Collection features mostly “less familiar animals”, each with its own little story and design.
Sculptures by francois viljoen
Credentials
Qualifications
Exhibitions
yes
Awards
Publications
1967 born in Vryheid, South Africa
1986 - 1988 studies: Interior design Technikon in Pretoria
1989 - 1992 studies: Teacher of arts Durban Teachers College
since 1993 teaching activities Westridge High School, South Africa
Heritage Academy, South Africa
Monarch Education, England
Select Education, England
Gymnasium Schönau, Germany
Gymnasium Schopfheim, Germany
FCS Liestal, Switzerland
1997 - 1999 Consultant and Tutor Shekinah Care Centre
Drugs and alcohol rehabilitation center
New Hannover, South Africa
1999 - 2002 Illustrator Human&Rousseau
Oxford University Press
Vivlia Publishers
Book Binders and others
2002 - 2005 Director
and art designer Ingwe Editions Fine Art Foundry
former bronce art foundry
Stellenbosch, South Africa
Much of his earlier art influences comes from the Romanticism and Symbolism movements. He says "The organic forms from created Nature in, esp.. Art Nouveau/Jugendstil, always fascinated me".
A recent and new theme he started to work on/explore, is the global information age and its influence on common life and individual life today.
