The way we were, Heist-aan-Zee, 1973 (1) Painting

Gerda Van Damme, a Belgian painter, was a finalist twice in the ARTE LAGUNA PRIZE and in many other international and national art contests. She is president of the art collective "Grosses Lacunes" and works together with Guido Janssens under the name "The Muybridge Collective". She is represented in Spain by MECA, Almeria. In Belgium her work has been shown in various galeries. Her work has been in shows in Venice (Arsenale) Italy, Brooklyn NY USA, Berlin Germany, Almeria Spain, Dordrecht Netherlands, and many cities in Belgium. She sold works to clients in Belgium, France, USA and Germany. Besides the paintings presented on Saatchi Art, she also creates installations and video art. You can discover those works on her website. The work of Gerda Van Damme is a deep exploration of the human condition, reflecting the existential restlessness that permeates our lives. Her work delves into themes about the ephemeral nature of life, disillusionment with reality in the face of childhood aspirations and the inescapable presence of death. Through her paintings, video art and installations, she confronts the banality of existence and the negation of mortality, all while questioning the possibility of finding true happiness and comfort amid the struggles inherent in life. Her meticulous approach to archiving life’s moments, whether through realistic paintings or digital categorization, serves as a testament to the passage of time and the attempt to preserve memories. Her art raises poignant questions about the legacy we leave behind and the lasting impact of our existence. In her visual representations, she achieves an impressive level of realism, sometimes bordering on hyperrealism, which imparts an objective and almost severe representation of her subjects. However, it is through her careful selection of images, frames and perspectives that she evokes deep emotional responses. Her personal files and newly captured photographs become the canvas for her narratives, sometimes culminating in small stories painted like comic strips.