D I M E N S I O N S W I L F R I E D
G R O O T E N S
Wilfried Grootens As one of the most in demand artists working with the medium of glass today, artist Wilfried Grootens is creating the best work of his career. I am honored to include him in our Habatat Family and invite you to join me in celebrating his first solo exhibition here at the gallery. In early 2013, we first became aware of Grootens by the recommendation of both artists and clients. We were immediately enthralled by the compelling universes he achieves in each of his unique sculptures. Over the years, his work has elevated with larger scales and shapes while pushing the boundaries of his otherworldly interiors. These interiors include a minimum of 35 hand-painted designs that assemble together. The surface of the work reflects the interior as well as the sides of the work that offer a mystical and unparallel optical illusion.
Enjoy this catalog of stimulating visual work by Wilfried Grootens and I look forward to each of your thoughts and am available to discuss the work anytime. – Aaron Schey
Glass artist Wilfried Grootens was born in Uedem, a small town in the German countryside near the Dutch border. At the age of 15, he began training as a glass and porcelain painter. In 1988, he received a Master Craftsman’s Diploma in Munich and in 1989 he moved to Kleve and opened his own studio. Grootens’ current glass work uses the optical float technique. Grootens paints on layers of glass and assembles them in stacks, laminating them together to create unique forms. These forms are cut and polished to perfection. His mystical cube sculptures are made from 35 layers of painted glass that have been painted on the surface of each thin layer of clear glass. Made of thousands of very fine brush strokes of varying tones, the design recedes or expands in size gradually, layer by layer, and, when seen together, form a miraculous three-dimensional visual that seems to be suspended in the sculpture. The painted design is reflected on the planes of the work, duplicating itself partially and, in one view, disappears entirely – in a dizzying display of optical illusion and geometry as art.
Scan the QR code to see a video of each work rotating in the gallery.
W.T.S.B.B. H20, 2015 8 5/8 x 8 5/8 x 8 5/8 in. Painted, laminated and polished glass
Orange and Green H55, 2020 8 x 8 x 8 in. Painted, laminated and polished glass
Ellipsoid 1 H29, 2017 19 x 11 x 11 in. Painted, laminated, and polished glass
W.T.S.B.B. H4, 2015 8 3/4 x 8 3/4 x 8 3/4 in. Painted, laminated, and polished glass
Blue Hole 4, 2021 31 x 31 x 1 in. Painted, laminated, and polished glass 8
Ellipsoid 2 H30, 2017 11 x 19 x 11 in. Painted, laminated, and polished glass 9
Dream Carrier H22, 2017 8 3/4 x 19 3/4 x 8 3/4 in. Painted, laminated, and polished glass
W.T.S.B.B. H38, 2018 11 x 11 x 11 in. Painted, laminated, and polished glass
Closed Vessel 3 H59, 2021 8 x 14 x 14 in. Painted, laminated, and polished glass
Gemini III, 2019 5 1/2 x 11 1/2 x 11 1/2 in. Painted, laminated, and polished glass
Gemini I, 2019 5 1/2 x 11 3/8 x 11 3/8 in. Painted, laminated, and polished glass
Out of the Blue 2, 2021 30 x 30 x 1 1/4 in. Laminated, painted glass, steel frame
Out of the Blue 1, 2021 30 x 30 x 1 1/4 in. Laminated, painted glass, steel frame 17
Blue Hole 2, 2021 31 x 31 x 1 in. Laminated, painted glass, steel frame 18
Blue Hole 1, 2021 31x 31 x 1 in. Laminated, painted glass, steel frame
Blue Hole 3, 2021 31 x 31 x 1 in. Laminated, painted glass, steel frame
White H28, 2016 8 5/8 x 8 5/8 x 8 5/8 in. Painted, laminated and polished glass
W.T.S.B.B. H4, 2015 8 3/4 x 8 3/4 x 8 3/4in. Painted, laminated and polished glass 22
Red Yellow Annemosa, 2021 8 x 8 x 8 in. Painted, laminated and polished glass 23