Last weekend I finally made it to the Rinus Van de Velde exhibition at Gallery Tim Van Laere in Antwerp. My forgetful mind made me skip last editions back in 2011 and 2013 and if my dear friend Sara wouldn’t have texted me, I’d also unconsciously missed this one. And that would have been a pity!

As you know I’m not really specialized in art so don’t expect any high qualified explanations or words that I’d probably not even understand myself. Just think of me as an ordinary blogger trying to write about something she highly appreciates. Most of what happens in the art scene is Chinese for 90% of the population anyway. For me it is all about emotions, I like it or not, it doesn’t matter whether the artists or his/her work is popular or not. And I tend to appreciate figurative art more often, which doesn’t mean anything more abstract can’t please me.

I can’t remember when exactly I saw one of Rinus Van de Velde’s creations for the first time but I  assume it was around his exhibition at the Van Laere Gallery in 2011. His talent for drawing is what caught my attention, I’ve always admired people who are really good and passionate about something. In the beginning he used found footage as documentation for his drawings but for the latest exhibition he went a bit further and exploits found and staged photography, performances without spectators, theatrical sets, cinematic narrative techniques, installations and sculptures as a basis for his drawings. With a simple piece of charcoal he creates a different world that thill looks a bit familiar.

So if you’re ever thinking about buying me a valuable birthday gift, I’d be pleased to have a Rinus Van de Velde in my living room. You can still visit the expo till next Saturday and it really really worth your time!

 

Photo credits: VisitFlanders