Interview
Paul De Bruyne
Paul De Bruyne, an abstract artist, consciously chose the path of an artisan for himself. He always positioned himself as an experimenter and a hunter for new and interesting art methods, expressed in various environments and materials. Every day Paul tries something new, which helps him to develop and grow above himself. His art is a metaphor for his vision of life - dynamic, simple and clear, in all purity of intense color. And he personifies this vision in the substance of his works.
Paul expresses his passion of life in bold and bright colors, in the space of the canvas, in the game of textures, lines and layers. He believes that art should carry a message, positive emotions and a kind of beauty. Life becomes colorful and bright when we make it ourselves. This is his message, his inspiration and philosophy.
Color takes a special role in his paintings. He makes his art recognizable and unrepeatable. Till this day, Paul is delighted with the variety that exists in nature, and he continues to experiment with this endless combination.
Paul De Bruyne combines a classic approach with modern art - a traditional way with media technology. He adds an internal light source to his paintings, that turns the canvas almost into an original glass window.
During all his creative life, he has participated in many exhibitions and has been awarded many times. His works are in private collections in homes and abroad.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“I was born in June of 1953, as the second child in a family of 8 children. I am a civil engineer by profession and have had an active career in several large and small companies. I am married and the father of 2 sons.
My colorful abstract paintings, sizes 100x100 cm and bigger, are made with acrylic and mixed media, finished with resin.”
What does your work aim to say? Does it comment on any current social or political issues?
“My paintings are very bright; easily perceivable. All my life I have loved art, and over time, it completely captured me and carried me into the beautiful world of colors and emotions. Feelings and harmony are the basis of my creativity. I aim to bring the insanity of colors into balance, and pass a piece of my energy to the viewer.”
“My paintings are spontaneous creations and always in balance. I work especially hard in combining the right colors to get an intriguing and harmonious painting.”
Which current art world trends are you following?
“I am currently following the Abstract movement.”
Do you plan your work in advance, or is it improvisation?
“My works contains a good mix of both planning and improvisation during my creative process.”
What process, materials and techniques do you use to create your artwork?
“I use a mixture of acrylic, plastic and epoxy on canvas, but I specialize in creating paintings with backlight.
My work is unique in the way that it arranges the lighting in each painting. The lighting comes from within not from any outside elements. When night falls, the painting lights up, but when the morning comes, the painting goes to sleep.
My works are most recognizable by:
1. Red Signature Branding:
Every painting has a red border, so you don't need a frame to display it.
2. Light from Within:
Traditionally we lighten paintings with spotlights. We give light to the painting (front light). What happens when we turn this around?
If we let the painting give light to the surroundings (back light), we have a totally different experience. When we put LED lights in the frame, behind the canvas, we suddenly get much more information from the painting. We can see more details and the colors are much more bright. It is as if we now have a glass window. We see the strokes and how the painting evolved.
Strange effects seem to occur: with front light we see yellow, but with back light we see green, because there is blue paint behind. We also get a second painting - since we can use a timer, we have the painting with front light during the day, but during the night we have the one with back light.”
What does your art mean to you?
“When I paint, it’s as if I am working out my own life. Every painting is a piece of my life. But as far as the people who see my paintings? I only paint mirrors.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“A few of my most notable exhibitions include:
- Vernissage 2015
- Dutch Artfair Amsterdam 2015
- Europe Art Fair Rotterdam 2015
- art3f Brussels 2017”
