Edward Vandaele

Edward Vandaele (1962) is a Belgian sculptor who is mainly concerned with the expressiveness of his work. He is interested in depicting inner thoughts and feelings through physical or formal representation. Vandaele has the gift of modeling a figure that perfectly matches the expression of a thought.

Although Edward Vandaele does not need a living model, he is inspired by other works of art. For example, a sculpture by Degas can inspire him to design a dancer in bronze or the paintings by Egon Schiele can serve as inspiration for sculptures such as “Dance of Temptation” and “Ode & Praise”. His horsemen of the apocalypse are also based on an existing biblical scene, but Vandaele always gives it his own interpretation.

Although Vandaele likes classic allure, his work still has a contemporary look. This is due to his flexible handling of formal language and the intensity of the skin of his characters, in which light and shadows play an important role. His sculptures show that Edward Vandaele wants to create creatures that are alive and not just aesthetic.

The figures depicted by Edward Vandaele not only perform a movement, but also show emotions and states of mind, such as melancholy, uncertainty, desire and anger. These emotions are expressed in the material in which the characters are enveloped, with an enormous sensitivity and judiciously applied depths in which shadows live and light lurks.

The characters' fingers are often long and graceful, while the feet radiate inner strength. The facial expressions are sometimes serene and classic, sometimes powerful and expressive. The rhythm of the body is subtle but clearly present. Although Edward Vandaele is excellent at modeling faces, hands and feet, he does not start with the formal language of a posing model and is not focused on accurately respecting proportions. In his work, the expressiveness sometimes transcends the limitations of a classical pattern.

Edward Vandaele realizes a personal harmony between form and thought in his work. He masters the technique calmly and gives life to the material, making his bronze models of refinement and idiosyncratic fidelity. Vandaele is an artist who seems to succeed effortlessly where others struggle.