The sculptures made by Wikje seem realistic at first glance, but she plays with the perception of the viewer. Behind the apparent beauty lies the visualization of vulnerability and desolation. The characters are purely fictional with a social existential theme.

Apparent realism and technical craftsmanship are used as a medium to reinforce her concepts. The material, the seemingly strong yet fragile stone, contributes to this strength.

Wikje does not work through perception. With the exception of the study portraits of her three own children, all characters are purely fictitious and arise from conceptualization. In stone Wikje works exclusively though direct carving. In this way she can, as it were, paint in the stone. This method gives her the freedom to search for the right expression at every stage of the process.

Every stone sculpture is therefore a unique piece. The consequence of the complexity and the corresponding slow process is a very low production.

In her more recent work, Wikje also works in bronze and synthetic materials in addition to stone.

During her years at the academy she mostly painted and focused in an abstract expressionist way on experimenting with materials and composition. Afterwards she withdrew for a long period to search for her own visual language and themes independently of external influences.
Wikje Schoon
Jun 20, 2018