Philippe Vandenberg was born in 1952 in Ghent and died in 2009 in Brussels, Belgium.
Vandenberg's artistic trajectory thrives on the transgression of artistic paradigms. His body of work defies easy categorization, seamlessly oscillating between the realms of abstraction and figuration, between the visceral and the cerebral. Through a fearless artistic exploration, Vandenberg adeptly seizes hold of the personal and the political.
“La peinture est d'abord un acte d'affirmation : je peins donc j'existe.
C'est une forme de communication.
Puis la peinture devient un acte de conjuration (l'horreur), un acte de désir (l'amour)..”
Philippe Vandenberg, Mars 1995, Amsterdam
The myriad art historical, philosophical and literary references in the drawings and paintings of Vandenberg, surpass mere citation; upon entering his creations, these references acquire a newfound actuality. His enthrallment with language mirrors his fascination with the complexities of the human condition – both are stratified, infused with significance, and capable of eliciting profound dialogues.
Vandenberg's life ended in 2009, leaving behind an enigmatic body of work. Through his art, Vandenberg encourages us to face our entirety – light and shadow.
Since his death, numerous exhibitions have been devoted to him in institutions such as De Pont in Tilburg in 2012, La Maison Rouge in Paris in 2014, Drawing Room in London in 2016 and the Kunsthalle in Hamburg in 2018.
In 2020-2021, the first major exhibition in Belgium after his death, BOZAR showed his works on paper produced in his Molenbeek studio, where he worked for the last few years of his life.