EYE

Glance into the world behind the art

The Contemporary Past of Eddy Stevens
EDDY STEVENS / Dec 7th, 2018   


Eddy Stevens (1965) can be counted among one of the most gifted painters of contemporary realism. Stevens is a Belgian fine painter, whose paintings can best be described as a translation of his thoughts about the timeless feelings and behaviors of 'man'. With his latest series of paintings 'The Contemporary Past' Eddy Stevens shows us the vision of his world in a broader perspective.
 
Belgian surrealism
A real artist is born as an artist - with a permanent drive to create, day in and day out. In this sense Eddy Stevens is an artist with heart and soul. Born in the Belgian town of Brasschaat in 1965, Stevens studied painting at a young age under the supervision of Guy Wauters and Sonya Rosalia Bauters. They helped him refine his own painting technique and develop his significant style, which exhibits clear characteristics of magical realism and symbolism. After high school he graduated from the Sint Niklaas Art Academy. There are not many artists who have started exhibiting so early - Stevens was only 16 years old when he exhibited his first works. Since that time he has managed to win an impressive exhibition list. His paintings are an ode to Belgian surrealism, a style that has inspired him since his childhood - everything is possible and there are no boundaries.
 
Unconscious fantasy world
Eddy Stevens now lives in an remote farm in the Walloon part of Belgium, together with his wife Sophie. There he finds the timeless atmosphere that brings him into contact with the essence of being human and thus perfectly suited for the development of his paintings. As a kind of spiritual philosopher, he explores from the loneliness of his home an unconscious fantasy world. His work is about the unique contact between man and person, from person to person. Stevens trusts that new concepts automatically present themselves during his moments of meditation, and so do they. It is as if new works are looming on the horizon to find him. He says: "It is as if I am not just inventing the idea, it is as if I am looking at my own shadow."
 
From beauty to essence
Inspired by the traditional techniques of spatiality and light, illustrated by great masters such as Rembrandt and Titian, Eddy Stevens has developed a style that is both modern and timeless. His works have grown to great heights, his style and technique have evolved over the years. increasingly refined, thoughtful and balanced. The emphasis in his work has shifted from beauty to the representation of the bare essence. While his previous exhibitions in Europe and the United States were rich in color, Eddy Stevens now chooses for the monochrome, occasionally using colored details, to attract attention. Less is more in this case. The works of Eddy Stevens are a reflection of a sensitive mind, a thinker and above all a highly gifted painter, who knows how to capture the subtle complexity of man in a sublime way.
 
Come and marvel at the exceptional art of being human, during the exhibition Nothing human is strange to us' with works by Eddy Stevens, which will be held in the Wildevuur gallery on the Hiemstrastate estate from 27 April to 10 June.
     
More about the works of Eddy Stevens can be found on his own website.
 

STAY INFORMED?