The "Mar I.A." Painting series.
 |
MARIE *M20241217 Mixed media Canvas 200 X 140 centimeters (78 X 55 Inches) 2024 |
| An ode to the Art Academy |
The “Mar I.A. ”series presents the same face from a reimagined portrait, a subject that might initially seem repetitive. However, through the repeated recreation of this image, the artist seeks not only to revisit a moment in time but also to relive the experiences of their years as a student in Europe.
These recreations explore how those formative experiences have blended with their native culture, forging a new identity in the present.
This series employs simple materials, such as colored pencils and graphite on raw canvas, prepared with a single sealing layer, leaving behind fingerprints and other marks that reflect the process.
In 1998, René Serrano captured a portrait of his friend Marie as part of his analog photography laboratory course. This portrait now serves as the foundation for a new composition, interwoven with a selection of figures, hairstyles, clothing, and other elements drawn from various art historical movements.
In doing so, the work pays homage to the academy as an institution. Simultaneously, the artist incorporates elements from his own personal history, culminating in a secret poem rendered in his distinctive calligraphy.
Ars Longa, Vita Brevis.
 |
Marie *M20250108 Mixed media / Canvas 200 X 140 centimeters (78 X 55 Inches) 2025 |
At the end of 1998, I moved from the Brussels Academy of Fine Arts to the one in Tournai Belgium, but I still visited my friends in Brussels on a monthly basis.
When I finally developed the negative, I found Marie's face, but after all, an expression that, in my opinion, reflects the myths and the passion of the passage through the academy of arts. In her eyes, I “read” images of Victor Horta, the Venus of Willendorf, Alphonse Mucha, The Bosh, the Mayas and of course, to my grandfather and great-grandfather, wise jewelers of the last century.
Since then, I began to recreate her face, even with a mural in the city of Doornik, Belgium.
Over the following years, I continued painting her image, up until today, when I decided to begin a “formal” series.
 |
| Early Paintings |
By integrating, trimming, and assembling elements from the environment where I studied, I create this series using simple media like color pencils and graphite. I incorporate symbols that act as bridges to my own culture. And a secret poem…
Ars Longa, Vita Brevis.
Ars Longa, Vita Brevis.
Comments
Post a Comment