Hasse van Leeuwen’s journey at the Willem de Kooning Academy has been anything but linear. She started as a double degree student, combining Liberal Arts & Sciences (EUC) with Audiovisual Design (WdKA). But after two years, she realized her heart was elsewhere. Illustration, a passion she’d held long before her studies, felt like the right fit. The lockdown gave her the space to reflect, and she finally made the leap. “Illustration suits my way of working better,” she says. “I love constantly creating and not staying stuck in the planning phase for too long.”
Despite the shift, Hasse still sees connections between her past and present. Storytelling remains central to her work, whether through comics, illustrations, or painting shadows. “Comics feel similar to storyboards,” she explains. “But now, I don’t need to film the stories, I can just draw them.”
Summer Will Be Over Soon
Hasse’s current project, Summer Will Be Over Soon, began as an experiment. During her internship, she worked partly on a self-initiated project and collaborated with an artist who specializes in oil painting. Time in his studio introduced her to the vibrant, warm tones of oil paint and the way sunlight transforms colors. That summer, she picked up a paintbrush and found herself captivated by shadows.
“Shadows are intangible; they only exist because something else does,” Hasse reflects. This poetic idea of shadows as symbols of impermanence and balance has shaped her series. Initially, it was a way to practice painting, but the project grew into something much deeper. Today, the collection includes six paintings, with plans for four more. She paints only when inspiration strikes, letting the process unfold naturally. “Sometimes I don’t paint for months, but that’s okay,” she says. “This project is for me, and that’s really freeing.” Summer Will Be Over Soon exists entirely outside of school assignments. Without the pressure of deadlines or predefined briefs, Hasse has found the freedom to follow her own creative rhythm. Inspired by a classmate who once described sending herself on a “painting camp,” Hasse occasionally dedicates full days to painting. “I just see what comes out,” she explains. This approach has helped her prepare for life after graduation, teaching her to balance self-motivation with creative exploration.
While transitioning to oil paint initially felt daunting, it became a pivotal moment in her practice. “I was stuck and uninspired, so I knew I needed to try something new,” Hasse recalls. A connection with the artist she worked with during her internship made the leap less intimidating, and her curiosity did the rest. “I’m still learning, but that’s the point—it’s about experimenting and growing."
Advice for others
Hasse’s biggest advice? “Just start.” While it may sound simple, she believes it’s an attitude that needs to be cultivated. “Begin from a place of curiosity, not because you feel like you have to master something,” she says. “Especially at a school like WdKA, where you don’t get formal technique lessons, it’s up to you to choose what you want to learn. Go to the stations, ask questions, and figure it out as you go.”
As Hasse prepares for her graduation project, she envisions creating something tangible, like a comic or a book, that people can read and hold. While the specifics are still unclear, she has set this as a loose framework to guide her process. “I don’t know exactly what it will be yet, but I’m following my interests and letting them lead the way.”
