Art on Paper Amsterdam: In Focus: Mart de Houwer (1931-1999)

For its first participation in Art on Paper Amsterdam, The Millen House presents a focused solo presentation of works by Mart de Houwer, an artist whose oeuvre is defined by an uncompromising devotion to line, rhythm, and material restraint.

Working largely outside the established art world, De Houwer developed a singular visual language grounded in repetition, precision, and quiet intensity. Her drawings—often executed in pencil, ink, or graphite—are the result of a slow, almost meditative process. Lines accumulate, intersect, and subtly shift, creating compositions that balance strict structure with human sensitivity. What appears minimal at first glance reveals remarkable depth upon closer inspection.

Born in 1931 and living most of her life in Zonhoven, Belgium, Mart de Houwer combined her artistic practice with family life and factory work. Free from stylistic trends or institutional expectations, she pursued drawing as a personal necessity rather than a career. This autonomy lends her work a rare clarity and integrity. Each sheet bears witness to time, concentration, and a profound engagement with the act of drawing itself.

At Art on Paper Amsterdam, The Millen House presents a carefully curated selection of De Houwer’s drawings from the late 1970s onward, ranging from intimate works on paper to larger, more immersive compositions. Seen together, they reveal a coherent body of work that resonates with European traditions of geometric and concrete abstraction, while remaining deeply individual and timeless.

This presentation marks an important step in the renewed recognition of Mart de Houwer’s work—placing her firmly within the context of postwar abstraction, and affirming her relevance for contemporary audiences drawn to precision, materiality, and quiet radicalism.