David Deweerdt

Deweerdt studied painting in Brussels at the Saint Luc School of Art. In subsequent years, he participated in various private graduate programs. In addition to his own studio practice, he teaches in workshops for people with mental disabilities, helping develop their creative expression.

Deweerdt paints with acrylic and ink on PVC. His paintings do not involve narration or stories; there is no background or atmosphere around the subject. He paints his figures in a solitary moment: they can be sensual, or they may be indifferent. He uses these figures however as a means to express specific feelings and emotions … sometimes they are more dreamlike and distant yet other times they appear more tormented. His desire is that the figures in his paintings exude these emotions and thereby awaken something in the viewer.

A further goal of Deweerdt is to challenge our perceptions of the human body and of beauty. For many years, his work has questioned the aesthetic norms of Western culture by painting figures with physical differences and deformities. His goal is not to seek aesthetic beauty but rather to ask the viewer to question our own preconception of what this aesthetic is and what is its value … or if there is any value to it.

Deweerdt has exhibited across several European countries and the United States. In 2017 he won the Special Jury Prize at the Strassen Art Biennale in Luxembourg.