I love to paint , but I am a 'self-taught' artist : apart from some months at the Antwerp academy, I have no formal training in art or painting. Since a couple of years now I got into a daily routine of exploring the ins and outs of painting on canvas. I love the lively plasticity of oil paint.
I focus on representational subjects. Sources of inspiration come from different sides. Most of my work tries to deal with real people and their emotions. I want to portray the (in)ability to communicate with others, be it a partner, own children or other people that are close. It can be portraits of ordinary people that I know, or scenes with people that I am moved by. Such as in a series of work representing homeless people and refugees.
I start from photos that I have taken myself on the subject, or pictures that I find on news websites. The biggest challenge is 'seeing' and translating the essence and the details into a new speaking and striking image.
More recently I began exploring the relations people have with each other: children with each other or with adults (their parents?). These works are mostly autobiographical – sometimes inspired by pictures and super8-films taken by my father in the late 1950’s and 60’s.
I love to explore the (in)ability to express oneself, to convey a true meaning in the interaction. Educating youngsters can only do so much. They have to find a way themselves, others can only try to push the darkness aside. Sometimes I symbolize this with an unidentified square form (a black box maybe ?). Growing up is a complex process. Happiness and sorrow, anger and angst, love and rebellion - there are enough colors in life to be inspired by in my paintings. What is about to be is uncertain.
Their search remains, towards a destiny that's never well defined.
And so is mine.
Exhibitions :
• 30 July to 3 august 2022 : Puur Kunst - group-exhibition in Garemijnzaal, Brugge
• 15 May to 25 juni 2022 : solo in Le Neuf Gallery / Rivoli, Brussel
• 9 March to 10 April 2022 : This must be the place - solo in cc De Meent, Alsemberg
• 20 November to 12 December 2021 : Bella Ciao - group-exhibition georganiseerd door Art27 in Heusden-Zolder
• 15 October 2021 tot 15 januari 2022 : solo - AZ Sint Maarten, Mechelen
• September 2021 : Kunst in het Dorp - group-exhibition, kasteel-klooster Ter Loo in Bellingen
• September 2021 : KNOFlook '21 - art walk in Heule/Kortrijk
• July-September 2021 : It’s a miracle we ever met - group-exhibition, Stichting Ijsberg, Damme (ex Bozar / Belgicart)
• July-September 2021 : Het Bankje - group-exhibition KunstWerkt ism OpenDoek en Creatief Schrijven
• Juyi-August 2021 : How did I get here ? - solo Galerij Artisjok, Lier
• July 2020 : group-exhibition - galerie Arttilia, Mortsel/Antwerpen
• May 2020 : group-exhibition - pop-up galerie Schorpioentje, Oud-Turnhout
• November 2019 : duo expo - Elise Ka Gallery, Hasselt
• June 2019 : solo - Galerij Martin Van Blerk, Antwerpen
• April/June 2016 : solo - Woonzorgcentrum Hof van Egmont, Mechelen
