William Ludwig Lutgens

William Ludwig Lutgens' practice is that of a multidisciplinary painter. His work delves into the unconscious complexity of the human ego and the ubiquitous influence of images, media, and representations in our over-achieving society, with a primary focus on figurative work. He seeks to intertwine these elements with dreamlike desires and symbolic meanings, exploring the fantasies that shape our understanding of reality. Besides painting and drawing, he makes sculptures, installations, and, more recently, performative work and film.

In 2017, William Ludwig Lutgens completed the post-academic residency program at HISK in Ghent and has since received multiple awards, including the 2020 Gaver Prize for painting, the 2017 Eeckman Art Prize at Bozar, the Drawing Room Madrid prize, and the Brussels ArtContest prize. He participated in the Nanji Residency at the Seoul Museum of Art in 2019, the Internationale Cité des Arts Paris in 2024, and is currently a resident at Kunstplaats VONK in Hasselt. Additionally, he has been involved in other residencies, including FLACC (Jester), Kokela DRCongo, Sala D’art Jove/Hangar, and Z33 Cultuur Platform.

Recent solo exhibitions were held at De Garage/Museum Hof van Busleyden in Mechelen, Expositieruimte 38CC in Delft, Galeri Kant in Copenhagen, and PLUS-ONE Gallery in Antwerp. He has participated in numerous group exhibitions such as Museum Schunck Heerlen, the Museum of Contemporary Art Ghent, Seoul Museum of Art, De Warande Turnhout, Z33 house of contemporary art, and Kunstvereniging Diepenheim. His work is internationally exhibited and included in collections such as De Bruin-Heijn, SMAK Ghent, and the Flemish Government.

In 2024, he presented Joy Sauce at Performa6 at Vonk Centrale, held a solo exhibition at PLUS-ONE Gallery, and participated in Universiteit Lichtekooi in Antwerp. Other upcoming shows include a solo exhibition at 427 Gallery in Riga and a group exhibition at SMAK in spring 2025. Lutgens is represented by PLUS-ONE Gallery and is also the founder of the artist space Red Herring Salon (currently closed) and a board member of the artists' association NICC. He lives and works in Antwerp.