The Percivals 2026

About the Artwork

This self-portrait is a confrontation rather than a likeness. It carries the weight of my life, years shaped by depression, endurance, and time. I haven’t tried to idealise the face; the etched lines are evidence of persistence, of waking up and continuing on days when retreat would have been easier.

The scars are both physical and unseen. Some are visible on my body; others sit beneath the surface, formed by mental illness, isolation, and survival. Depression is present not as something dramatic, but as an atmosphere, heavy and inescapable. The gaze isn’t asking for sympathy. It acknowledges what is.

This painting exists at the edge of descent, the abyss, scars and all. It doesn’t seek redemption. It stands as proof that I have endured, that I have remained present despite fracture. These marks are not signs of defeat, but of passage.

About the Artist

Mark Willems has lived in various parts of Australia, and is currently based in Far North Queensland. Specialising in oil on canvas and watercolour, Mark celebrates what makes Australia unique, with a strong focus on his local environment, including the Daintree Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef.

His professional background includes work as a stained glass painter, glass screen printer, and leadlight artist with the Tasmania Stained Glass Company. He has exhibited nationally and internationally, including New York (Agora Gallery), Sydney, Melbourne, Tasmania, and Cairns. He is the recipient of multiple awards, including Best in Show, Excellence in Practice, and Best Oil Painting, and his works are held in private collections worldwide, across Australia, Asia, Europe, and the USA.