Josepha van den Anker
Josepha van den Anker
Josepha van den Anker is a figurative painter and printmaker, originally from the Netherlands and a proud naturalized Canadian citizen. She holds a Fine Arts Honours Degree from Ontario College of Art & Design and is the recipient of the Forsyth Scholarship Award for Excellence in Painting.
Since 1976, van den Anker has exhibited her work in both national and international exhibitions, with pieces held in numerous private and public collections. From 1989 to 2005, she maintained Sulis Arts studio in Doolin, County Clare, Ireland. Since 2005, her studio and residence have been based in St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada.
Van den Anker’s practice is rooted in a humanist perspective, engaging deeply with the psychological landscapes of human emotion and the complexities of lived experience. Her work often draws on archaic iconography while remaining in dialogue with modern and contemporary influences. Among the artists who have shaped her approach are Francis Bacon, R. B. Kitaj, and key figures of the Bauhaus including Johannes Itten, Paul Klee, and Josef Albers.
Her work invites viewers into a reflective space where emotion, symbolism, and the human condition intersect.