BELGIAN DESIGNER & ARTIST DIRK VAN SAENE SHOWS CERAMIC SCULPTURES IN SOLO EXHIBITION
15 January 2021
Gallery Sofie Van de Velde presents the very first solo exhibition of Dirk Van Saene, Stories of hope and despair. In this first exhibition Dirk Van Saene shows a new series of ceramic sculptures and paintings.
That Dirk Van Saene possesses an exquisite virtuosity, is beyond doubt. "The art world has always been rather suspicious of any form that is purely visual, a form where beauty or emotion prevails. A form that is often referred to as ‘design’ or ‘decoration’, says Van Saene. Yet, it is precisely in this twilight zone that Dirk Van Saene dives into, he further explains: “As an artist, my work has no functionality: it shows the human body, not in a direct context but rather as the notions of a human figure. At the same time, the emotions they depict are equally as important. My sculptures are the stage-managers of their own story. Not only with regard to their material, colors and shapes, but also in the historic value that they carry and that I assign to them.”
The long-standing relationship between gallerist Sofie Van de Velde and Dirk Van Saene is absolutely the foundation of their first professional collaboration. Even though there is a great mutual admiration for each other’s work, it is foremost based on a mutual trust. "The upcoming exhibition in her gallery is my playing field to visualize my ideas," concludes Van Saene.
Even though Van Saene uses fabrics and textile, his artistic work has little to do with fashion. “My sculptures are neither mannequins, nor statues. They are characters, dressed by me. They question the idea of presentation modules, the use of vehicles. Both mannequins in the world of fashion as well as pedestals in the art world are architectural objects. They take up space. But in this exhibition, they merely carry themselves. Each sculpture has its own aura, but always dependent on imagination and creativity.”
In his new series of works Van Saene portrays different characters that embody a certain emotion, with a focus on tragic or dramatically charged feelings. "Tragedy fascinates me," says Van Saene, "as they are amplified emotions and I want to portray them. But tragedy is also inevitably tacit and reflective. All images are introverted, without any form of interaction with each other, as if they hit a pause button.”.
While Van Saene may experience freedom as an artist he also feels bound by traditions. His work is embedded in a long history of sculptural art, solely through working with a traditional medium. Yet, other (art) histories are possible as well. Van Saene explains: "Each work refers to a different individual character. Just like certain images, emotions can surprise us, capture us and linger. This is what interests me: getting to the bottom of our emotions, eroding those extreme feelings. I draw upon mythical and historical characters that I feel connected to, but also people from my inner circle. Because of that, they also hold a biographical relevance. Through my sculptures, I reveal something about myself. In this exhibition, I write and display my own history, as if it were a lexicon of affiliations."
PRACTICAL
"STORIES OF HOPE AND DESPAIR"
16.01.2021—21.02.2021
Gallery Sofie Van de Velde
Tuesday—Sunday, 13H—18H
www.sofievandevelde.be/exhibitions/dirk-van-saene
www.instagram.com/gallerysofievandevelde