Name Glen Viljoen | ||
Glen Barry Viljoen (born August 15, 1971 in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe) is a widely regarded illustrator, cartoonist, conceptual artist, designer and painter.
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Life
He was born in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, studied in South Africa and works predominantly in the United Kingdom and the United States, as an illustrator, visualizer, cartoonist, conceptual artist, storyboard artist, designer and painter.
Viljoen attended the East London Technical College, South Africa, studying Fine Art and Graphic Design, before moving to the Natal Technikon, Durban, South Africa, to further his studies in Graphic Design. Moved to London, England in 1996. He lives in the south of France with his family.
Commercial illustration
Illustrations and designs by Glen Viljoen have been used in advertising by such companies as General Mills (Cocoa Puff’s, Neopets, Animal Planet), Cereal Partners (Nestlé - Milo, Nesquik, Chocapic, Captain Star, Golden Nuggets, FIFA), Disney UK, Marks & Spencers, ALDI, COOP, Instinct Clothing, Ambrosia, Fuller’s London Pride, Credit Suisse, Thomson Financial, NHS Wales, Sainsbury’s, Ravensburger, Mars, Sainsbury’s (Blue Parrot Range), Volvic Water, Actionman, Toys ’R’ Us, BBC (East Enders), BBC Wales (Pobol y Cwm) Reuters (London), Nokia (Finland, South Africa), S4C Wales, HTV Wales, Welsh Development Agency, Wales Trade International, Early Learning Centre, Welsh Assembly, CTAD, Spar, Unilever Group (South Africa), SABC, Swan Publishers, Art Publishers, Heinemann Centaur Publications, Creative Productions, Goliath, Tinderbox, Gemini, Blendex Toothpaste, Twistos, Hamleys, Marstons, National Grid, Woolworths, KPMG, Magners, Conagra, Cabo São Roque, DHL to name but a few…
Awards
Viljoen won a Welsh BAFTA in 2002 for the best promotional title sequence for S4C's "Planed Plant" Children's Channel.
Painting
Completed a series of successful solo art exhibitions and curating of group exhibitions in London and the south of France.
These include images of African wild life, abstract and contemporary nudes.
The artist follows his personal and innate creative impulse through a display of line and an audaciously unashamed colour palette. Working across abstract, stylized and representational styles...
The wildlife images are a reflection of the artist’s African heritage. His animals are painted in both a classical style with incredible accuracy and in a contemporary and conflicting style which evokes an overwhelming sense of the great Dark Continent. His wildlife paintings procure a strong focal point using space, composition, and light and dark.
His dynamic nudes, express symbolic qualities through bold shapes, tones and gesture. Each composition, intentionally emotional, displaying energy and presence. Using brushes and palette knives, each stroke creating unique and unpredictable interest beyond the works’ powerful figurative subjects. The contrasting styles used in these works are a sharp revolt against the artist’s commercial illustration work.
Artist's statement
Art is the bias essence that prescribes emotional pleasure and displeasure toward all things. In the eye of the beginner there are many stimulants to direct the imagination, to condemn or revere. The tainted eye, mercilessly selective. Art is always permeating, compelling us to learn and to see again. A visual harmonious intuition subtle enough to act upon.