Wendell Jesse Kerwhen

In 2007 after Wendell did a learning program from the special education and he was given his own place at Atelier Herenplaats there was development of many drawings. Fast pen drawings, pencil sketches about street lanterns, hands, flowers and cars followed one after the other at a quick rate. One dummy after the other were filled up with his observations of the world surrounding him.

The lines of his ink and pencil drawings cross each other, this kind of transparency is a distinguishing mark of his work. About his drawing called 8 heads his comment was: ‘If you have no hair then you are bold’. Also exploring his own sexuality is a common subject in his work, like the piemelmens (Penishuman). ‘Growing a big penis is fun’. He also has a fascination for guns and pistols.

His own comments about this kind of drawings are: Pistol is blood and dead towards hospital. Wendell is born in the Netherlands from a Liberian father and a mother from Mali. His cultural background has given him a wide range of impressions and with his handicap he can express them on a very original and direct manner in his work.

Exhibitions

2009  Who Am I#4, Gallery Herenplaats, Rotterdam
2010  “Kadmium”, Delft
2010  “Outsider Art Salon”, Gallery Herenplaats, Rotterdam
2011  Exhibition Zorgcentrum Crimpenersteyn, Krimpen a/d IJssel
2011  Novo, Groningen
2011  “Museum of Everything 4”, Londen, U.K.
2011  “Who Am I # 5” graphic exhibition, Gallery Herenplaats, Rotterdam
2012  “Who am I”, Galerie du haut Pavé, Parijs, France
2012  “Geschonden, Getroffen”, Gallery Herenplaats, Rotterdam
2013  GROOS, Schieblock, Schiekade, Rotterdam
2014 Outsider Art, Galerie Herenplaats, Rotterdam
2018 “Vrije Geesten”, Galerie Herenplaats, Rotterdam
2019 Big-I, traveling exhibition in Japan

Collections

Max E. Ammann Collection, Switzerland

Catalogues

2009  Who Am I#4, catalogue graphic exhibition
2010  “Kadrium”, Delft
2011  “Museum of Everything 4”, Londen, U.K.