Unwelcome Painting

For almost 40 years, I have worked as an independent photojournalist. Based in Bangkok, Thailand, since 1991, I have mostly covered Asian countries for a wide spectrum of magazines and newspapers. Simultaneously to my media activities, I have dedicated large part of my time to watercolour painting. To me there is a solid bridge between reportage photography and watercolour. Both techniques capture instant moments. A camera needs a fraction of a second to immortalize a reality, a very similar process to a brush that fixes a mix of water and pigment into the thickness of a paper. Since I was born, my architect father put a pencil in my hand and took me to art museums. As a Belgian, I have the privilege to share roots with powerful artists such as James Ensor, René Magritte or Félicien Rops. Amongst other models were Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, and of course the master of light, J.M.W. Turner. A first professional turn as a watercolour artist came in 2003 when I was jailed for five weeks in Laos for a clandestine reportage on a ethnic Hmong community lost in the jungle. My films were confiscated, never to be seen again. After my release I recreated scenes I had witnessed in the jungle with watercolour and black pen. They were published by many medias including the New York Times, Grands Reportages and Le Soir. Then, a Swiss entrepreneur assigned me on the production of paintings describing the precious gems industry (from the mine to the jewellery): Burmese ruby, Colombian emerald, Sri Lankan sapphire, … These works are exhibited in his company premises. Parallel to this work, I have created more personal and thematic series I am submitting to your curiosity such as “Cursed poets”, “Opium”, “Vanities”, “François Villon”, “Bangkok wet”, “Belgie mon amour”, “Ten ism…”, etc.