Wilfried Grootens approaches glass as both a physical material and a space for painting. His sculptures are constructed from individually painted sheets of float glass, which are layered, laminated and polished into precisely defined geometric forms. Within these transparent structures, fine brushstrokes align across successive planes to create images that appear suspended inside the glass.

Perspective is fundamental to the experience of Grootens’ work. Forms that seem clearly defined from one position can multiply through reflection, shift in density or disappear almost entirely when viewed from another. The sculpture therefore resists a single fixed image: its internal composition is continually reconstructed through the movement of the viewer.

This relationship between two-dimensional mark-making and three-dimensional form has its roots in Grootens’ early training as a glass and porcelain painter. Yet his use of painting extends far beyond the surface. By distributing individual marks across multiple transparent layers, he transforms them into volumetric structures, making depth itself an active element of the composition.

The precision of Grootens’ technique is balanced by a strong sense of visual instability. Solid geometric objects contain forms that seem weightless and spatially ambiguous, while reflection and transparency blur the distinction between what is physically present and what is optically produced. The result is a distinctive sculptural language in which painting, glass and perception become inseparable.

House of Glass Gallery