Born and raised in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Denise Buisman Pilger has used art as a way to deal with the difficulty of saying goodbye all her life. That little girl that cried her eyes out going to school, would never have predicted that she would leave behind her home country to become one of Montréal’s most sought-after artists.
Living as an ex-pat, she has embraced the thing she struggles with the most, saying goodbye to her home and everything that is familiar on a regular basis. Her art is what connects her to the places she has to leave behind.
After studying Illustration, Denise became a graphic designer and art director, a sensibility that is reflected in her current body of work, both aesthetically and technically. But when she joined her husband in Fort Worth, Texas at 28, the need to create art was re-awakened.
“I’ve always felt this strong urge to create. Saying goodbye to not just my home and my family, but my whole life, really brought that need to create to the foreground. It helped me deal with my feelings of homesickness but also gave purpose to the exploration of my new home.” - Denise
For a few years, she worked on her art and her graphic design simultaneously, until a move to Montréal coincided with the company she was working for going out of business. She took the leap and jumped headfirst into a full-time art career that, over the past 10 years, has evolved into a thriving art business.
“Someday this will not be your home any longer”. “You might never come here again”. “The little voice in the back of my mind inspires my urge to capture the essence of the places I love..” -Denise
Denise’s recognizable style, using a unique blend of painting and photography, has resulted in a substantial portfolio that includes several distinct bodies of work that pay homage to the places she holds most dear.
With subjects ranging from Amsterdam and New York to Tokyo and Seoul, her powerful series, ‘Traveling the World’ celebrates the beauty of urban spaces around the world. While ‘World on Washi’ is an in-depth exploration of the minimalist esthetic of Japan, a country she fell deeply in love with during her three-year stay in Nagoya.
After more than a decade and thousands of hours behind the easel, Denise’s work has gained notoriety, having been featured in places such as CTV Montréal News, Global TV, CBC Montréal News and VPR Radio.
Having shown at galleries and art expos around the world such as New York Art Expo, the Artist Project, Latitude 44 Gallery in Toronto, the Salon the Beaux Art in Paris and the Esplanade and Masa21 galleries in Japan, Denise continues to share her work both online and in-person [see Denise’s CV here].
“The online space allows me to stay in touch with my collectors around the world but nothing beats sharing my work with people in person and connecting with people face to face.” - Denise.
You can see more of Denise’s artwork by clicking the button below, or, for a more personal touch, schedule your free art consultation and let the artist herself help you find the perfect painting for your space.
ARTIST • EXPAT • TRAVELER
“I hate saying goodbye but I did it anyway. 🥲 Fueled by farewells, I paint places I miss so I can hold on to them forever”