Born in Antwerp on 17 May 1935, Willem Leo Jan Dolphyn was the only son of Victor Dolphyn and Anna de Ridder. In 1941 his father, Victor, began teaching at the Academy in Antwerp, and with his father already an established and talented artist, Willem clearly had painting in his blood. He began drawing at the age of 4 with a picture of a group of swans inspired after a visit to the Antwerp Zoo. It was at the age of 12 that through his grandfather’s tales, he began his interest in Eastern culture, and when he was 15, he signed up as an ordinary seaman to give himself the opportunity to travel and explore for himself. He visited countries including Turkey, Greece, Lebanon, Egypt and Libya and it wasn’t long before he was to travel to the Far East to see for himself where these tales came from. It is a passion that has never left him and has grown stronger and stronger over the years. Later that year, in 1950 he joined the Antwerp Academy and at 17 became the youngest pupil to be admitted to the National Higher Institute for Fine Arts where he excelled and honed his skills.