Memories Of Light

Programmed | 15 march until 22 june

From March 15 to June 22, 2025, the exhibition 'LIGHT MEMORY - Wessel Huisman paints Rome' can be seen in Museum Flehite. Museum Flehite has traditionally had a special bond with Rome through the work of the famous Amersfoort painter Mathias Withoos (1627-1703) and his internationally renowned student Caspar van Wittel (1653 – 1736). The city that has inspired artists for centuries is exceptionally depicted in this exhibition through the eyes of Wessel Huisman. With his characteristic play between light and time, abstraction and figuration, Huisman offers a fresh and intriguing view of the Eternal City. The exhibition includes 45 paintings and studies focusing on historical locations, church interiors and museums.

It was the former general director of the Vatican Museums, professor Francesco Buranelli, who approached Wessel Huisman during an exhibition in Florence with the fascinating question of how he, as a Dutch painter with a specific view of light and space, would capture the iconic places of Rome. Wessel responded to this with two exhibitions, which were on display in 2024 in the Museo del Foro Romano and in the Royal Dutch Institute in Rome (KNIR).

“Wessel's attention to Italy has many similarities with old Amersfoort masters from our collection. For that reason I have been following his work for years. Now it is high time to bring Huisman's Rome in the Netherlands together with the cityscapes of Van Wittel and Withoos.” Says Onno Maurer, chief curator of Museum Flehite.

About Wessel Huisman

Wessel Huisman has a background in both visual arts and history. While he studied at the Academy of Visual Arts and Design in Arnhem in 1979, he simultaneously studied history at Radboud University in Nijmegen. Although he never worked as a historian, his artistic oeuvre is characterized by a profound interest in the relationship between past and present.

Huisman: “Rome is frequently captured digitally by its visitors, the photos and videos seem to reflect our relationship with reality. This exhibition is also a powerful statement in favor of the imagination of painting.”

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Wessel Huisman, Surviving Light, acrylic on canvas, 380 x 160, 2022

Painting through time

Light plays a central role in Huisman's work. From his earliest youth in Breda, he has recorded and stored all kinds of lighting conditions. In the same way that scents can do, this light archive stimulates his memories. In this way, Huisman travels through time while painting, bringing lighting conditions and experiences from the past back to life. Conversely, it may happen that while walking along the Tiber in Rome, he is reminded of a specific light impression and atmosphere from his childhood. History returns in his work, not just as a thought or memory, but as a vital and intense experience of the present.

Balance between figurative and abstract

Huisman connects the figurative with the abstract in his work. For him, paint is the bridge between these two worlds. He plays with the power of illusion and recognition that a painting can evoke, making his work both intriguing and surprising.

Wessel Huisman exhibits frequently and worldwide, especially in the Far East. He has been represented in China by Moyi Art Gallery/Shanghai since 2012. In 2016, supported by the Dutch Consulate General, he stayed in that city as an artist in residence for more than three months. His work is unique in the way he brings together light, time, memory and history.

Wessel Huisman, The Light that Is, acrylic on canvas, 160 x 160, 2021