Interview
Sven Verhaeghe
In addition to his paintings and drawings, Sven Verhaeghe’s work also includes video work and installation art. His most important subjects are landscape and nature are, in particular the oft disturbed relationship between man and nature.
Verhaeghe’s work seems to bring us into the atmosphere of the idyllic landscape of the 18th and 19th centuries, but in contrast to these ideal images of the past, the subjects of that time seem forgotten or disappeared. Background has become the foreground. Verhaeghe somehow manages to incorporate our history into his work without becoming too explicit or anecdotal.
The work wavers between abstract and realistic. It seems timeless because it cannot be placed indiscriminately in the contemporary, but within the tradition, it’s also strange. Verhaeghe's work constructs its own timeframe and dimension.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“I’ve always loved to draw. Initially, I followed in the footsteps of my grandfather who drew portraits. But in my late 20s, I sought psychological help, which I eventually found in my art.”
What does your work aim to say? Does it comment on any current social or political issues?
“My art tries to speak directly to the soul of the viewer. It doesn’t shy away from any emotion. Art doesn’t always have to please, but should instead reflect the feelings that live in us.”
What inspires you?
“I‘m inspired by the texts and books I read, documentaries and films I see, and fragments of reality I encounter. I let all these impressions flow onto the canvas or paper in my studio.”
“The main theme in my paintings, drawings, installations and videos is restoring the relationship with nature around and within us.”
Are there any art world trends are you following?
“I live and work in a small town not far from the sea, close to the border of France. It’s a bit of a forgotten corner in Belgium, which I like. I prefer to keep as far away as possible from the contemporary art world that is too often influenced by fashionable whims. Instead, I seek the universal and what others seem to have forgotten.”
What process, materials and techniques do you use to create your artwork?
“When painting, I choose to use oil and when drawing, I prefer charcoal. But I never get in the way of the experiment. I also like to use ‘more modern’ media such as film, to express my ideas.”
What does your art mean to you?
“I can’t survive without my art. It’s the only language I own to express myself. Although I naturally also want my work to be seen and possibly sold, this will never affect what and how I draw or paint. In my studio, I don’t care about the world—I own the world.”
What’s your favorite artwork and why?
“I don't believe in favorite works. There are too many to mention, from works by the great masters of art—Gericault to Kiefer—and also works by an outsider artist who artlessly manages to create a point of view of the world.”
