Joseph Clavel adopted the pseudonym of IWill in order to stress the intensity of his artistic effort.
IWill started to exhibit his works at the Salon des Artistes Francais as of 1875, and was a founding member of the prestigious Societe des Beaux Arts in Paris. He participated in numerous exhibitions all around the world, and was awarded the distinguished Silver Medal at the 1889 Exposition Universelle in Paris, followed by the Bronze Medal in 1900. He was honored with the highly coveted Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur in 1894 for his body of work.