Artist Database

Wessel van Huyssteen has been an active artist, community arts educator, curator, and filmmaker since 1986. He holds a Master’s degree in Fine Arts with distinction and has been nominated for
and won several local and international documentary film awards. Van Huyssteen has held four solo exhibitions and attended numerous residencies. His works are included in collections such as the SA National Art Bank, Nirox Foundation, and Glo’Art International. He co-owns Ark Contemporary Gallery in Rosendal, where he exhibits year-round, and lives off the grid in the same town.

Van Huyssteen’s multidisciplinary practice includes intricate watercolors, collages, and abstract textile works. His textile pieces, made from machine-stitched layers of Viscose, Rayon, and Nylon,
reflect on their toxic production and global consumption. He invites viewers to engage with his work on tactile, optical, and auditory levels, aiming to evoke the persistent rhythm of the sewing machine as it shapes disrupted geographies. He is currently preparing for a solo exhibition at Oliewenhuis Art Museum in 2025.