Willem de Kooning: A Life in Flux Born April 24, 1904, in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, Willem de Kooning’s life and career were defined by a restless spirit of exploration and a constant negotiation between tradition and innovation. His early years, marked by familial upheaval and a move to the United States following his mother's death, instilled within him a deep-seated sense of displacement – a feeling that would profoundly shape hi…