A formidable artist, Josepha Van Den Anker tells her story.

London-based photographer Paul Lambert sits down with artist Josepha Van Den Anker for an intimate conversation in Josepha’s St. Thomas, Ontario, studio. The space—part home, part creative sanctuary—has been the centre of her world for the last two decades. This is where she says, “All I have done is paint.”

Yet her path before moving to St Thomas was anything but settled. Josepha’s earlier life reads like that of a restless wanderer, shaped by five decades of personal and artistic growth, with constant reinventions of herself, led by an inner spirit of relentless determination. Through every challenge, Josepha held her artistic instincts close, using her talent as both compass and lifeline.

With authentic clarity, Josepha recounts her journey across countries— Canada, Ireland, and the Netherlands—each chapter marked by remarkable adaptation and an unwavering commitment to her craft. Starting with her early childhood, Josepha tells how she first became aware of her artistic ability, and how she allowed that gift to both guide and support her through a life defined by creativity and resilience.

Below is an overview of some of the paintings and other works of Josepha Van Den Anker

Josepha approaches her painting, starting with a structured geometric grid, using it as both anchor and counterpoint for the deeply personal symbols she places within it. Her imagery—abstracted, intimate, and often drawn from lived experience—creates a visceral tension played out against the underlying geometric order. Through this interplay of emotion and structure, she explores feminist perspectives and the complexities of human relationships, transforming geometry into a framework for storytelling, memory, and embodied feeling.

Josepha has exhibited in both private and public galleries, internationally and locally, and her work is part of private, public, and corporate collections. For further details of exhibitions and a list of patrons, click here.

Josepha Van Den Anker was interviewed by London photographer Paul Lambert,
You can view Paul Lambert’s portfolio on his website