Back in 2000, Willem decided he’d had enough of aviation and ended a challenging and fulfilling career to which he’d dedicated 25 years. Willem wasn’t interested in retiring, though – he was looking for new challenges and avenues to explore.
He followed his penchant for the creative into a life of art.
Willem enrolled in Curtin University and pursued a Fine Arts degree. Originally he planned to stick to painting, but after experimenting extensively, Willem fell in love with jewellery and object design. It made sense, too – he had plenty of background experience with jewellery after being brought up in Sri Lanka, a culture in which jewellery plays a pivotal role.
In 2004 Willem graduated with a degree in Jewellery and Object Design, and then followed-up with an Advanced Diploma in 2010. With two qualifications under his belt, Willem started creating pieces – each one individual and unique, with no two ever being the same – and developed WHY Creations, which is the business platform from which Willem sells his work.
Willem’s work has been featured extensively in Australia as well as internationally. It’s been seen on the catwalks of Perth and Sydney as well as in books and magazines on contemporary jewellery worldwide.
