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Don’t cry baby, you were born in a scary world, you’d better get used to it. Every life has its own little dramas and we're all scary in some ways. You are a flower, remember. Don't cry, little man.
Sketch in progress:
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Ben with surprising 90 y/o grandfather.(Do not smoke if you care about your health!)
Undoubtedly one of the most prolific, innovative, and exciting artists exhibiting their creations on deviantART has to be the amazing Ben Heine. We have interviewed him (here below), let us first introduce his work.
In terms of sheer creativity and the true spirit of art as human expression that knows no bounds, he is currently with few peers. His unique visual creations have been featured in newspapers, magazines and other publications worldwide and over the last few years his works have begun to populate art galleries and museums from Brussels and London to Turkey, Romania and South Korea.
As a photographer, fine artist and conceptualist Ben Heine has been conjured up not one but three new categories of art of his own devising, blending together those separate disciplines.
Pencil Vs Camera: In his Pencil Vs Camera works he first takes a photograph and then overlays a section of that photo with a photo of his own hand holding his own penciled sketch over a portion of the original photo. The effect is an astonishing jolt that echoes pop art but is also entirely fresh and new. An already beautiful photo is transformed with a sketched "comment" that adds a splash of satire or whimsy. I love the thought of our everyday monotonous surroundings taking on fantastical, joyous, and humorous qualities.
Digital Circlism: In his Digital Circlism works he updates the pointillism school of art by making the "points" actual recognizable circles with which he creates portraits of pop icons and others. The effect is as striking as posters struck from the iconic Alberto Korda photo of Che, but suddenly re-conceived to be projected upon the infinite cyberwall of digital space.
Flesh and Acrylic: In his Flesh and Acrylic works he photographs models or portions of their anatomy which he has already painted in acrylic paints. In the finished work it is at first difficult to tell where the human figure ends and the background "canvas" begins, both blending together into one surreal abstract vision.His work is powered by a fearless positivity. Rarely do such brilliant purveyors of new forms and techniques arise so startlingly in our midst, and rarer still do they display such an abundance of joie de vivre! He is a new talent we should all be watching. If you haven't seen his work yet, do yourself a favor and check it out right now. Perhaps the most innovative aspect of Ben Heine's art is an element transcending even his magnificent accomplishments in photography, pencil sketches and acrylic paint. His work is probably the most joyous and embracing expression of an infinitely and indefatigably excitement over and celebration of both traditional and new digitally technological art creation.
An Interview with Ben Heine
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Art Event - Namur Expo (Jan 2012)
Ron Martino: All your innovations in art form (Pencil Vs Camera, Digital Circlism, Flesh and Acrylic) celebrate both humanity's creative artistic imagination and humanity's creative technological innovation in a way that's almost absolutely seamless. Are you not fearful of the dangers of "bad" technologies, or is your art a statement about remaining positive and always finding the "good" in human progress?
Ben Heine: I always see the good aspects in human progress. I personally don't think there are any bad sides in technologies as long as they are used in a creative and constructive way to help artists increase their abilities. Significant innovations in graphic art are very important and do not happen so frequently. I mean having nice ideas is awesome but expressing them with totally new forms of art is even more interesting in my opinion. I don't have any specific statement concerning my art, I just take my own direction all the time, and I believe new mediums also give us the opportunity to explore unknown fantasy universes and develop a distinctive style. In the Pencil Vs Camera series for instance, I wanted to demonstrate that it's possible to combine drawing and photography in an imaginative, harmonious and eye-catching way. I just invented this technique to allow me to express more powerful messages with the tools I use the most.
RM: Your Pencil Vs Camera creations have the effect of simultaneously "flattening" a scene into a still life sketch while at the same time seeming to almost project it in a pop 3D fashion. What sort of statement are you making about the artist's "eye" in relation to his media (camera or pencil) and his imagination? Are you asking us to escape or embrace reality with you? Or to explore the possibilities in both?
BH: Pencil Vs Camera is all about illusion, dream, poetry, magic and simplicity. The challenge is to create a 3D-like drawing on a piece of paper; the sketch should be connected with the photographic background but it should also say a little story by itself. I always try to give symbolic meaning to my drawings so that the message goes deeper than the photo alone. The combination of drawing and photography is really a powerful way to express ideas. There are no limits because everything is possible; every single illusion can be created on the paper.
I think the fact that my hand is always visible attracts the attention of the viewer, it was not an easy decision at the beginning because the hand may look too big or may obstruct the whole composition of the picture but it also represents somehow a warm human invitation to the watcher to see and grasp the little story happening on the piece of paper, to escape and hopefully dream a bit. The photography always shows reality as it is, the paper represents a door to a parallel world, and the hand is the connection between these two worlds. Everybody knows reality more or less; it's kind of boring. Ideally, the persons viewing my pencil Vs Camera images should travel in another dimension. It can be confusing sometimes for me, because this parallel world on the paper is just a reflection of my imagination at a given moment.
RM: Your Pencil Vs Camera technique, your whimsical, often surreal "improvements" upon an already interesting photographic capture, seem to say as much about the artist's process and imagination as they do about the subject matter. How much time elapses between taking the photo and penciling the addition?
BH: Yes, you're right, the way Pencil Vs Camera is made is also an essential point. Because it's a new form of expression, many people want to know how it's achieved. There are several methods to get the same results. I explained them in several past interviews. The concept is super easy to understand: draw a sketch on a piece of paper, hold it in your hand and take a photo of it in a place of your choice. I usually make a rough drawing first (it takes hours or days, depending on the complexity of the subjects I want to depict), then I go to the place in which I intend to take the photos, I hold the paper in my hand, I adjust it to make sure the main lines on the paper fits with the main lines of the reality behind, then I take the photo. In some cases, I need to make corrections and improvements in post-production to make sure everything works together.
RM: You've evolved pointillism in your works by having the "points" be recognizable rather than "invisible", thus adding a symbolic significance to your subjects, a sort of modern stained glass effect. How do you pick your subjects? Are they heroes or simply pop figures and icons?
BH: Portraits in my Digital Circlism series are made indeed with thousands of flat circles. Each circle is made of one color, one tone, one dimension and each circle is placed one after the other on a black background. I often make a photomontage first using a bunch of references, then a digital painting and I finally apply my "digital circlist" technique. There is no automated process, it takes a lot of time, generally between 100 and 180 hours for a single portrait. I generally choose to portray top celebrities I admire, not only for their work but also for their influential charisma. In my views, Digital Circlism goes in the continuity of Andy Warhol's Pop Art portraits. And as you mentioned in your question, it is also a new take on Pointillism. I've been making all kinds of portraits since more than 15 years. I wanted to develop a very original technique. As I've been working with digital tools recently, this came quite naturally.
RM: Your flesh and acrylic pieces provoke an ongoing debate: How far beyond the generally aesthetic into the overtly political do you intend your works to probe and provoke? Are your messages of human imagination and freedom of a general universal nature or is it ever the artist's duty to support specific causes?
BH: My recent works do not carry any political message. This is not my intention in "Flesh and Acrylic" or in my other recent projects. It's true the photos belonging to the "Flesh and Acrylic" series are provocative in some ways, because models made of flesh and bones become plastic synthetic creatures, they become part of the abstract painting. In this project, my main intention was to give a new dimension to the life model, to make something new and to generate surprise, happiness and joy in the viewer's eyes. I wanted the result for each piece to be extremely colorful and spontaneous. As usual when I do an abstract work, I paint in a very intuitive way. The final piece is often wild with unexpected effects. Finally, I try to create an optical illusion blending different layers together, which can be a bit disturbing sometimes. But this is what I like the most!
RM: As an artist of the current digital vanguard, what new revolutionary changes do you think we may soon be experiencing in the production, distribution and appreciation of new art in the very near future?
BH: Hard to say, artists are full of surprise, you never know what comes next. Globally, I think there will be more and more digital creators. I'm sure there will always be galleries and museums showing artists works. Original talents will be found via the Internet and social networks, like it's happening already.
RM: What do you tell young artists whom upon viewing your achievements also seek to create works of such technical innovation and striking beauty?
BH: Everyday, I receive emails from young artists willing to receive the recognition they deserve. There are so many gifted people in this world. I always tell them to keep working hard, they must do their best to be inventive, to always believe in what they do, never give up and stay positive. Their moment will come soon or later. Talents are always found one day or later.
(*) With many thanks to Ron Martino, Mario Luevanos and Katy Dawson. This Interview was first published the 18th of January 2012 at "deviantART Headquarters" official group. DeviantART is an online community showcasing various forms of user-made artworks. It was launched in 2000 by Scott Jarkoff, Matthew Stephens, Angelo Sotira and others. deviantArt, Inc. is based in California, United States. DeviantArt aims to provide a platform for any artist to exhibit and discuss works. As of August 2010[update] the site consists of over 14.5 million members, and over 100 million submissions.© 2012 - Ben Heine / © 2012 deviantArt
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(See it on deviantART)
(See it on deviantART)
© 2012 - Ben Heine
(See it on deviantART)
(See it on deviantART)With your petals of yellow and leaves of green, I see the splendour of creation... These are pictures I took in my garden in Braives, Belgium. Model: Caroline Madison // MUA: Michaelle Markus. See more photos from this shooting.
© 2012 - Ben Heine
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Many new limited edition prints of Pencil Vs Camera, Digital Circlism and Flesh and Acrylic were exhibited from the 13th till the 15th of January 2012 at the Art Event fair in Namur, Belgium. All of the exhibited artworks are limited edition prints face mounted and bonded between 2 acrylic glass panels (Authentic Diasec finishing). You can find more info about my limited editions prints and about Diasec here.
Enlarge HERE
Here are the results of a collaboration with "Minimaal", a Belgian company making 3D prints. It was a new and enriching experience for me.
Photo 1: Flesh and Acrylic - Martin // Photo 2: Fight for Your Rights // Photo 3: Scanning Martin's arm // Photos 4, 5, 6, 7: Scanning & modeling Martin's arm // Photo 8: The 3D print is made with a ZCorp 3D printer. The main component used in this case is a monochrome powder called Z150. This powder gets injected layer after layer, according to the 3D model, until the object is totally reproduced with details and textures. To make a solid sculpture, Minimaal adds a Zmax epoxy, giving extra strength and durability to the 3D object // Photos 9, 10, 11, 12, 13: 3D print in progress // Photos 14, 15: Acrylic painting on the 3D print // Photo 16: Exhibition of the final piece in presence of the model at "Art Event" fair (Namur - January 2012)
Photo 1: Flesh and Acrylic - Martin // Photo 2: Fight for Your Rights // Photo 3: Scanning Martin's arm // Photos 4, 5, 6, 7: Scanning & modeling Martin's arm // Photo 8: The 3D print is made with a ZCorp 3D printer. The main component used in this case is a monochrome powder called Z150. This powder gets injected layer after layer, according to the 3D model, until the object is totally reproduced with details and textures. To make a solid sculpture, Minimaal adds a Zmax epoxy, giving extra strength and durability to the 3D object // Photos 9, 10, 11, 12, 13: 3D print in progress // Photos 14, 15: Acrylic painting on the 3D print // Photo 16: Exhibition of the final piece in presence of the model at "Art Event" fair (Namur - January 2012)
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The other woman walking in the distance is an important element in the composition of this picture. The guy on the rocks is attracted by a beautiful but fake holy creature. In my view, the person with the red backpack symbolizes the real and genuine LOVE... but it is actually going away from him. Hopefully he will take the right decision before it's too late (it's just my own interpretation, I understand you might see something completely different, I even encourage this!). See the full Pencil Vs Camera album.
I took the above photo during my trip in Spain, while I was walking the "Camino de Santiago de Compostela" (I made some 700 hundreds kilometers in a few weeks and met some amazing pilgrims). I also made the drawing. You can view here below the sketch in progress, some details and the same scene from another angle.
Sketch in progress:
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(See it on deviantART)No more violence! This work is dedicated to the 5 killed and 125 wounded people in the recent gun and grenade attack in Liège (Belgium). Weapons are useless. I ripped the paper and held it in a different way so that it works with my drawing... You can view some details and the work in progress (part of it) here below. PS: "Pencil Vs Camera" is a copyrighted concept and invention. It's forbidden to use it for commercial purposes without authorization.
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(Photo by Marisa Rosa)Can you tell me about yourself? How you became interested in art? What are the important moments in your evolution?
I'm a visual artist currently living and working in Brussels, Belgium. My first introduction to the art world happened thanks to the work and vision of my mother who is a Modern Jazz dance choreographer.
Some “keydates” and main periods of my life from my birth until now:
1983-1990: Birth and childhood in Ivory Coast, Africa. 1990-1996: Primary school in Brussels, Belgium. First drawings. 1996-2002: Boarding school in Soignies, Belgium. High interest in Graphic arts, along with music, poetry and sport. 2002-2003: Studies in Hastings, England: Painting and Sculpture. 2003-2007: University in Belgium and The Netherlands: Journalism and Slavonic languages. Political illustrations. Growing interest for Photography. 2007-2009: Lots of different jobs: Teacher, Journalist, Editor, Coach. The priority remained in my creative projects. End of my political/activist period. 2009-2010: Full time visual artist. Birth of "Pencil Vs Camera" and "Digital Circlism". Exhibitions in Belgium and abroad. 2011-Present: Birth of "Flesh and Acrylic". Exhibitions in Belgium and abroad.
In "Flesh and Acrylic", where and when are the pictures taken?
Almost all of my "Flesh and Acrylic" projects have been done in Braives, a small city located in the Belgian countryside. I have my studio there in the attic of a lovely family house (my grandfather was born in this house, but that’s just a little anecdote). I started this project in June 2011. I made the latest one a few weeks ago (a flesh and acrylic "demo" in the context of a short video report talking about “Art and Surrealism in Belgium”; broadcasted on "TV3" (Catalonia, Spain).
What was your mission - what did you hope to achieve? Was you quest successful?
In this series, my main intention was to give a new dimension to the life model, to make something new and to generate surprise, happiness and joy in the viewer’s eyes. I wanted the result for each piece to be extremely colourful and spontaneous. As usual when I do an abstract work, I paint in a very intuitive way. The final piece is often wild with unexpected effects. Finally, I try to create an optical illusion blending different layers together, which can be a bit confusing sometimes. But this is what I like the most.
Can you describe what we are looking at with your own words?
These are mainly abstract acrylic paintings on very large wooden panels. The main idea is to create a vivid and creative surface and to blend a model with the background. The particularity of the project resides in the fact that a living person is integrated in the artwork and is part of the whole composition.
How did you create these amazing scenes – can you walk me through your method?
I first go to the art shop and get lots of acrylic paint. Then I build the wooden surface. I paint some abstract themes on the wooden panels, the model comes and he/she stays in front of the panels for 2 or 3 hours allowing me to directly add paint on her/his body as well. Once the abstract painting process is finished, I take pictures of the final result. The photos will be printed and exhibited afterwards.
Limited Edition Prints exhibited at the AAF (2011)
Certainly it's not recommended to cover your skin with acrylic paint repetitively, I first tried it on several parts of my own body, no pain, no irritation... Acrylic paint is water-based so the majority of the substance is not toxic. Acrylic paints with cadmium can be harmful because of the heavy metals they contain. I use acrylic WITHOUT cadmium.
What is the message behind your art?
In this “Flesh and Acrylic” series, the messages are: “life is colourful” and “Life is like a canvas, anything can happen”.
What kind of reaction do you get from people when you show them?
Some think it is "extreme" and they say I’m completely crazy. Other people beg to become a model for one of these projects…
Is there an ecological message you want to convey in this series?
I’m definitely a person pleading for the protection of nature etc, but to be honest, in this series, it was not my primary goal. In this project, human beings made of flesh and blood transform themselves into synthetic plastic creatures. It is a bit provocative.
- What is the type of paint?
It’s always acrylic paint, hence the title “Flesh and Acrylic”
- How many pots of paint did you use?
Usually between 8 and 16 pots for each “Flesh and Acrylic” project.
- How many litres is each one?
Usually there is 750 mililitres in one pot, depending on the brand.
How many different colours did you use?
I like to work with simple primary colors. So I have maybe 4 or 5 colors maximum and I mix them together to obtain new colors when needed.
(*): Barcroft Media is a British press agency working with Ben
I'm a visual artist currently living and working in Brussels, Belgium. My first introduction to the art world happened thanks to the work and vision of my mother who is a Modern Jazz dance choreographer.
Some “keydates” and main periods of my life from my birth until now:
1983-1990: Birth and childhood in Ivory Coast, Africa. 1990-1996: Primary school in Brussels, Belgium. First drawings. 1996-2002: Boarding school in Soignies, Belgium. High interest in Graphic arts, along with music, poetry and sport. 2002-2003: Studies in Hastings, England: Painting and Sculpture. 2003-2007: University in Belgium and The Netherlands: Journalism and Slavonic languages. Political illustrations. Growing interest for Photography. 2007-2009: Lots of different jobs: Teacher, Journalist, Editor, Coach. The priority remained in my creative projects. End of my political/activist period. 2009-2010: Full time visual artist. Birth of "Pencil Vs Camera" and "Digital Circlism". Exhibitions in Belgium and abroad. 2011-Present: Birth of "Flesh and Acrylic". Exhibitions in Belgium and abroad.
In "Flesh and Acrylic", where and when are the pictures taken?
Almost all of my "Flesh and Acrylic" projects have been done in Braives, a small city located in the Belgian countryside. I have my studio there in the attic of a lovely family house (my grandfather was born in this house, but that’s just a little anecdote). I started this project in June 2011. I made the latest one a few weeks ago (a flesh and acrylic "demo" in the context of a short video report talking about “Art and Surrealism in Belgium”; broadcasted on "TV3" (Catalonia, Spain).
What was your mission - what did you hope to achieve? Was you quest successful?
In this series, my main intention was to give a new dimension to the life model, to make something new and to generate surprise, happiness and joy in the viewer’s eyes. I wanted the result for each piece to be extremely colourful and spontaneous. As usual when I do an abstract work, I paint in a very intuitive way. The final piece is often wild with unexpected effects. Finally, I try to create an optical illusion blending different layers together, which can be a bit confusing sometimes. But this is what I like the most.
Can you describe what we are looking at with your own words?
These are mainly abstract acrylic paintings on very large wooden panels. The main idea is to create a vivid and creative surface and to blend a model with the background. The particularity of the project resides in the fact that a living person is integrated in the artwork and is part of the whole composition.
How did you create these amazing scenes – can you walk me through your method?
I first go to the art shop and get lots of acrylic paint. Then I build the wooden surface. I paint some abstract themes on the wooden panels, the model comes and he/she stays in front of the panels for 2 or 3 hours allowing me to directly add paint on her/his body as well. Once the abstract painting process is finished, I take pictures of the final result. The photos will be printed and exhibited afterwards.
Limited Edition Prints exhibited at the AAF (2011)Certainly it's not recommended to cover your skin with acrylic paint repetitively, I first tried it on several parts of my own body, no pain, no irritation... Acrylic paint is water-based so the majority of the substance is not toxic. Acrylic paints with cadmium can be harmful because of the heavy metals they contain. I use acrylic WITHOUT cadmium.
What is the message behind your art?
In this “Flesh and Acrylic” series, the messages are: “life is colourful” and “Life is like a canvas, anything can happen”.
What kind of reaction do you get from people when you show them?
Some think it is "extreme" and they say I’m completely crazy. Other people beg to become a model for one of these projects…
Is there an ecological message you want to convey in this series?
I’m definitely a person pleading for the protection of nature etc, but to be honest, in this series, it was not my primary goal. In this project, human beings made of flesh and blood transform themselves into synthetic plastic creatures. It is a bit provocative.
- What is the type of paint?
It’s always acrylic paint, hence the title “Flesh and Acrylic”
- How many pots of paint did you use?
Usually between 8 and 16 pots for each “Flesh and Acrylic” project.
- How many litres is each one?
Usually there is 750 mililitres in one pot, depending on the brand.
How many different colours did you use?
I like to work with simple primary colors. So I have maybe 4 or 5 colors maximum and I mix them together to obtain new colors when needed.
(*): Barcroft Media is a British press agency working with Ben
Some unseen images of Ben's Flesh and Acrylic project:
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Publié en français et en néerlandais ("Loewe Magazine", Nov 2011)
L’artiste Ben Heine connaît une jeunesse turbulente. Fils d’un ingénieur commercial belge, il voit le jour en 1983 à Abidjan en Côte d’Ivoire. À sept ans, il déménage avec sa famille à Bruxelles, où les premiers temps d’acclimatation sont difficiles. Après une période de hauts et de bas, il trouve un intérêt et sa voie dans toutes sortes de projets visuels.
Enfance de Ben en Côte d'Ivoire
Outre des dons pour la poésie, la musique et le basketball, il manifeste progressivement des talents pour le dessin et la peinture. C’est cette dernière passion qui finit par prendre le dessus. Ses études en journalisme, photographie, langues, dessin, peinture et sculpture élargissent ses horizons et lui ouvrent la voie d’une carrière professionnelle variée. Finalement, il opte pour la vie d’artiste.
En 2006, ses créations artistiques commencent à percer au niveau international. Ses œuvres sont publiées à maintes reprises dans des journaux et magazines tant en Belgique qu’à l’étranger et touchent dès lors des millions de lecteurs dans le monde. Avec des expositions en Belgique, en Angleterre, en France, en Allemagne, en Turquie, en Roumanie, en Espagne, au Brésil, au Canada et aux États-Unis, ses œuvres se déplacent continuellement d’un endroit à l’autre. Le circuit des galeries découvre également l’œuvre de Ben Heine, aussi bien chez nous qu’au-delà de nos frontières. Il devient une valeur sûre à la «Gallery Garden» et l'«Appart Gallery» à Bruxelles, à «Start/Stuff&Art» au Cap-Vert, à «Art Movement» à Londres, à la «Next Gallery» à Jacksonville et à «Radeski Gallery» à Liège. Divers événements artistiques internationaux comme «Affordable Art Fair», «Berliner List», «Accesible Art Fair» et «Music for Life» portent sa marque.
Affordable Art Fair, Londres, 2011
Au fil des ans, il développe un style bien à lui, souvent basé sur une combinaison unique de dessins et de photos. Un style qui est aussi un mélange bigarré de magie, d’illusion, de poésie et de surréalisme. Sa marque commerciale «Pencil Vs Camera» est le résultat de ses formations variées, de l’exploration graphique et de son évolution artistique. Généralement, ses œuvres naissent à partir d’un projet dessiné à la main. Une main qui est souvent très présente dans son œuvre et qui donne l’impression d’être toujours en phase d’élaboration. Il crée de la sorte une interaction entre le spectateur, l’œuvre et l’artiste en action. Au moyen d’une technique de son cru, il transfère son dessin en noir et blanc dans une photographie très colorée, ce qui accentue le contraste entre les deux disciplines ainsi combinées… Le spectateur s’en trouve happé dans le monde des expériences de l’artiste et est soumis à une confrontation brutale entre la forme et le contenu de l’œuvre.
Pencil Vs Camera - 12
Les sujets des œuvres de Ben Heine sont très divers. Il s’agit le plus souvent de portraits humains ou animaliers. Mais son œuvre est également traversée, tel un fil rouge, par l’architecture, la nature et même des thèmes plus abstraits comme la vie, la liberté, l’amitié et la mort. Il le décrit par ces mots: «Je fais de l’art pour les gens qui le regardent et non pour moi-même. Je veux créer pour eux un monde imaginaire qui les libère des tracas de la vie quotidienne. Jadis, j’écrivais de la poésie. À présent, je fais passer mes idées poétiques et philosophiques par le biais de mes images. Chaque nouvelle création raconte une histoire et suscite, comme un poème ou une chanson, une émotion intense».
Pencil Vs Camera - 57
Le monde artistique est unanime pour décrire son art comme unique et transcendant les frontières. Lorsque nous avons été confrontés pour la première fois aux œuvres de Ben Heine dans la mondaine Saint-Tropez, il dépassait les autres artistes exposés de la tête et des épaules. Ses multiples facettes et l’expressivité pénétrante de son œuvre ne se retrouvent d’ailleurs pas seulement dans ses œuvres «Pencil Vs Camera». Les résultats de son «Digital Circlism» sont au moins aussi uniques : pour y parvenir, il utilise toutes sortes de techniques numériques, en donnant sa propre interprétation du Pop Art et du Pointillisme. Les portraits de Bob Marley, Freddie Mercury, Eminem, Elvis Presley, Lady Gaga, Marilyn Monroe et beaucoup d’autres célébrités du grand écran et de la politique internationale y acquièrent une touche artistique originale au plus haut point.
Lady Gaga - Digital Circlism
Cette année, Ben Heine lance un nouveau projet artistique : «Flesh and Acrylic». Il commence par réaliser des peintures abstraites à l’acrylique sur panneaux en bois, il intègre ensuite un modèle vivant dans la composition, un modèle sur lequel il peint également des motifs abstraits. Le résultat est une interprétation très personnelle du body-painting.
Flesh and Acrylic
Les expériences artistiques variées de Ben Heine sont exposées pratiquement en permanence dans la galerie «Art Gallery Radeski» au centre de Liège. Une galerie de 450 m² qui met à l’honneur des artistes contemporains novateurs. Ce temple artistique est situé dans un vieux complexe hôtelier transformé en un centre commercial de plus de 3 000 m², où l’on trouve également une jolie Loewe Gallery.
«Art Gallery Radeski» propose toutes les six semaines une nouvelle exposition, présentant chaque fois l’œuvre de quatre artistes de renommée internationale. Un must, à combiner avec une visite du centre de Liège qui a été rénové récemment !
Ben Heine et Serge Bonhomme à la Galerie Radeski en 2011
Enfance de Ben en Côte d'IvoireOutre des dons pour la poésie, la musique et le basketball, il manifeste progressivement des talents pour le dessin et la peinture. C’est cette dernière passion qui finit par prendre le dessus. Ses études en journalisme, photographie, langues, dessin, peinture et sculpture élargissent ses horizons et lui ouvrent la voie d’une carrière professionnelle variée. Finalement, il opte pour la vie d’artiste.
En 2006, ses créations artistiques commencent à percer au niveau international. Ses œuvres sont publiées à maintes reprises dans des journaux et magazines tant en Belgique qu’à l’étranger et touchent dès lors des millions de lecteurs dans le monde. Avec des expositions en Belgique, en Angleterre, en France, en Allemagne, en Turquie, en Roumanie, en Espagne, au Brésil, au Canada et aux États-Unis, ses œuvres se déplacent continuellement d’un endroit à l’autre. Le circuit des galeries découvre également l’œuvre de Ben Heine, aussi bien chez nous qu’au-delà de nos frontières. Il devient une valeur sûre à la «Gallery Garden» et l'«Appart Gallery» à Bruxelles, à «Start/Stuff&Art» au Cap-Vert, à «Art Movement» à Londres, à la «Next Gallery» à Jacksonville et à «Radeski Gallery» à Liège. Divers événements artistiques internationaux comme «Affordable Art Fair», «Berliner List», «Accesible Art Fair» et «Music for Life» portent sa marque.
Affordable Art Fair, Londres, 2011Au fil des ans, il développe un style bien à lui, souvent basé sur une combinaison unique de dessins et de photos. Un style qui est aussi un mélange bigarré de magie, d’illusion, de poésie et de surréalisme. Sa marque commerciale «Pencil Vs Camera» est le résultat de ses formations variées, de l’exploration graphique et de son évolution artistique. Généralement, ses œuvres naissent à partir d’un projet dessiné à la main. Une main qui est souvent très présente dans son œuvre et qui donne l’impression d’être toujours en phase d’élaboration. Il crée de la sorte une interaction entre le spectateur, l’œuvre et l’artiste en action. Au moyen d’une technique de son cru, il transfère son dessin en noir et blanc dans une photographie très colorée, ce qui accentue le contraste entre les deux disciplines ainsi combinées… Le spectateur s’en trouve happé dans le monde des expériences de l’artiste et est soumis à une confrontation brutale entre la forme et le contenu de l’œuvre.
Pencil Vs Camera - 12Les sujets des œuvres de Ben Heine sont très divers. Il s’agit le plus souvent de portraits humains ou animaliers. Mais son œuvre est également traversée, tel un fil rouge, par l’architecture, la nature et même des thèmes plus abstraits comme la vie, la liberté, l’amitié et la mort. Il le décrit par ces mots: «Je fais de l’art pour les gens qui le regardent et non pour moi-même. Je veux créer pour eux un monde imaginaire qui les libère des tracas de la vie quotidienne. Jadis, j’écrivais de la poésie. À présent, je fais passer mes idées poétiques et philosophiques par le biais de mes images. Chaque nouvelle création raconte une histoire et suscite, comme un poème ou une chanson, une émotion intense».
Pencil Vs Camera - 57Le monde artistique est unanime pour décrire son art comme unique et transcendant les frontières. Lorsque nous avons été confrontés pour la première fois aux œuvres de Ben Heine dans la mondaine Saint-Tropez, il dépassait les autres artistes exposés de la tête et des épaules. Ses multiples facettes et l’expressivité pénétrante de son œuvre ne se retrouvent d’ailleurs pas seulement dans ses œuvres «Pencil Vs Camera». Les résultats de son «Digital Circlism» sont au moins aussi uniques : pour y parvenir, il utilise toutes sortes de techniques numériques, en donnant sa propre interprétation du Pop Art et du Pointillisme. Les portraits de Bob Marley, Freddie Mercury, Eminem, Elvis Presley, Lady Gaga, Marilyn Monroe et beaucoup d’autres célébrités du grand écran et de la politique internationale y acquièrent une touche artistique originale au plus haut point.
Lady Gaga - Digital CirclismCette année, Ben Heine lance un nouveau projet artistique : «Flesh and Acrylic». Il commence par réaliser des peintures abstraites à l’acrylique sur panneaux en bois, il intègre ensuite un modèle vivant dans la composition, un modèle sur lequel il peint également des motifs abstraits. Le résultat est une interprétation très personnelle du body-painting.
Flesh and AcrylicLes expériences artistiques variées de Ben Heine sont exposées pratiquement en permanence dans la galerie «Art Gallery Radeski» au centre de Liège. Une galerie de 450 m² qui met à l’honneur des artistes contemporains novateurs. Ce temple artistique est situé dans un vieux complexe hôtelier transformé en un centre commercial de plus de 3 000 m², où l’on trouve également une jolie Loewe Gallery.
«Art Gallery Radeski» propose toutes les six semaines une nouvelle exposition, présentant chaque fois l’œuvre de quatre artistes de renommée internationale. Un must, à combiner avec une visite du centre de Liège qui a été rénové récemment !
Ben Heine et Serge Bonhomme à la Galerie Radeski en 2011
Which one do you think is the predator? Ok, to be honest, this is somehow a metaphor of "capitalism". I have been willing to do something like this since some time… Everything is connected in this image (the smallest fish at the top is asking for help, see detail below). I took the photo near Sousse in Tunisia not too long ago, I also made the drawing. I'm not a biologist or a fish expert, I just drew these animals intuitively. If you wish, you can view the full Pencil Vs Camera album here.
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Sketch evolution (for the first fish in the shark's mouth):
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(See it on DeviantArt)Even when life is hard, friendship is always somewhere. Harmony in perfect duos never ends. It's precious. These are photos I recently took while I was walking in the streets of Sousse, in Tunisia.
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