Artist Profile | Painting

Andreas Vanpoucke

Born on August 5, 1959 in Dixmude in Belgium, the painter studied in Ghent from 1975 to 1982 at the École Supérieure Saint-Luc, where he graduated as valedictorian. He then did personal research on the engravings, drawings and oil paintings of Rembrandt, Degas and Ensor as well as figurative painting of the 19th and 20th centuries. From 1983 to 2019, he was a professor of Visual Arts in perceptual drawing at the École Supérieure Saint-Luc in Antwerp, Belgium. Between 1975 and 1999, he produced numerous art calendars at the request of cultural organizations in cities such as Blankenberghe, Koksijde, Handzame, Bruges, Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, etc. ​ He has painted since his childhood, mainly in oils, but he also produces numerous drawings, watercolors and engravings. It was while returning from a trip to Portugal in 1997 that he discovered France and Provence and decided to settle in Saint-Rémy with his family. His first exhibition on site, entitled "Saint-Rémy au daily", took place in 1999 at the Hang'Art du Zéro Surréaliste François Otte. Since then, the town hall of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence has permanently exhibited the main triptych of this series. ​ From 2006, he focused his work on the city of Antwerp and its inhabitants. In 2007, he exhibited "The Antwerp Mosaic", which includes nearly 150 acrylics and presents a multifaceted face of the metropolis. ​ The work of Andréas Vanpoucke has evolved over time towards greater power and independence, his personal mark however always remains imbued with light, contrasts, colors in the search for poetic realism. Andréas Vanpoucke is a painter who uses little material to convey his emotions, his touch is just and precise. Flemish painter, the exaltation of his paintings, whether large or small, essentially comes through the quality of his compositions which allow us to immerse ourselves in the daily universe which fascinates the painter, on several levels of observation and reading. . The quality of its lights is also exceptional. The strength of the light of the South led him to create a series of engravings entitled “Le Midi en noir et blanc”. The light is so strong that engraving is the ideal medium according to him to ideally transcribe the contrasts. His latest work on the city of Paris is remarkable for its authenticity and sincerity. His approach: Paris seen from behind; a humanist and respectful, current and lively approach to this capital, the city of lights. An intimate and modern atmosphere emerges from this work. The artist was able to admirably convey the atmosphere of everyday life and make visible the very special light of Paris in all seasons and at all times. These are first of all drawings then engravings, then around 180 “prints” developed on small and large formats which constitute an impressive mosaic of “Paris in everyday life”. Monuments, characters, situations, this approach to contemporary Paris is presented from an unusual angle integrating the predominant elements of our daily life, cars, trash cans, telephones...