Born in 1977 and raised in the small Kalahari town of Stella, Willem moved on to study at the Pretoria Technikon (now TUT) where he obtained his diploma in Graphic Design in 2000. It was his love for painting however that afforded Willem his first solo exhibition in 2007 with the Tina Skukan Gallery, Pretoria, where he has held subsequent solos every second year since that time.
The William Humphreys National Gallery acquired 4 of Willem’s works in 2017 for its permanent Collection, following his solo exhibition held there at the time. He has also participated in numerous group exhibitions including Lizamore and Associates (Jhb), RK Contemporary in Riebeeck Kasteel, Glen Carlou and Rust-en-Vrede Gallery in the Cape.
Willem has been a Top 40 finalist in the South African Portrait Awards for five consecutive editions (2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2023), to which most notably coming in second in the 2023 edition with his painting entitled, "Kewpie". As a painter of national interest, Willem and his work have been featured in numerous publications as well as the Press.
Willem lives and works from Rosendal in the Eastern Free State, and shares his home with his wife Linda and their 8 children. His work is held in numerous private and public collections both locally and abroad.
In 2022, Willem had his 12th solo exhibition at White River Gallery entitled, "Worlds Apart", which coincided with the launch of his book, "iewers êrens" (iewers êrens includes 50 of Willem Pretorius' recent landscape paintings, each accompanied by a piece written by a South African writer, poet, painter or musician.)
