Brussels Palace of Justice
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I took this photo a few days ago and spent several hours
to edit it and get the tones I wanted. I really love this place,
the streets around the massive building are completely crazy!

The Brussels Palace of Justice is the most important Court building in Belgium and is a notable landmark of Brussels. It was built between 1866 and 1883 in the eclectic style by architect Joseph Poelaert. It is the biggest building constructed in the 19th century.

The above photo has been shot with the Samsung NX10, which
has been provided to me by Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
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Random detail (+ detail of the detail):
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© 2010 - Ben Heine

Today is my Lucky Day

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I've made this "sculpture" with Euro Cents today, it was lots of fun!
I might be doing more stuff around this concept in the near future
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All the above photos have been shot with the Samsung NX10,
which has been provided to me by Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

© 2010 - Ben Heine

Ben Heine interviewed by Milda

Kiaušaitė for "Šeimininkė" (*)

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Exhibition of the "Pencil Vs Camera"
series at The Coach in Belgium

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Well, I guess everything begins somewhere. When and how did you find photography and drawing so close to you? Were there any influences on you?

My mother is a dancer, my father an engineer and also a poet. These 2 persons were my initial inspiration and introduction to the artistic world. I chose traditional drawing and painting first and then focused on photography and digital art (see my portfolio). Some great and passionate teachers have also influenced me in a great way when I was a kid.
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If you had to introduce yourself by telling just one story, what would it be?

Here is a pitch: A random and creative guy trying to survive somewhere in the universe and willing to share his thoughts with others.
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One of your projects is called “Pencil vs camera”. How was it born and what’s the main idea of it? Does photography and drawing always have to compete to one another in your life? Do you believe that technique means something about how good or bad a creation is?

The main idea behind Pencil Vs Camera was to oppose imagination and reality. There could have been several artistic forms to express this concept but I chose the 2 disciplines I like the most. Pencil Vs Camera was born almost by coincidence as I was doing something else. But it is also the result of several years of graphic research.
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Are you a keen newspaper reader? Or the Internet satisfies your needs completely? What about all the fighting between classic media and the new, digital media? It's a very resounding question these days - digital vs. film, pencil vs. photoshop, newspapers and magazines vs. blogs and etc. Who's the winner here? :)

Yes, I love reading the news in general to be aware of what’s happening everywhere in the world. I’ve been formed to do this during my degree in Journalism. I used to read in the paper but I must admit that the Internet is becoming more and more my primary source of information. I think there won’t be any winner or loser in the current conflict between historic newspapers and new sources of information such as blogs or online news sites, etc. They should work together to achieve the most powerful communication and information system ever. And this is where we’re going slowly. It’s true, I find it more comfortable to read stuff on a physical paper that I can hold in my hands, but I’m afraid all the paper supports will disappear one day not only because of the tough concurrence with digital information but also because of ecological reasons.
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You seem to be a very creative person, always searching for something new. Is there such thing as routine in your life? What are the things that inspire you and let you down?

I know it’s easy to say, but everything inspires and influences me. Routine is something I dislike but we all have to accept it from time to time.
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Your photographs combined with drawings sometimes look like original and provoking ads. Is advertising on your 'map'? Maybe you have some experience working in an agency or something?

Looking like ads? Really? Haha, I promise that I wasn’t paid by any brand or company to produce my PvsC images. I’ve done all of them only for myself. Because I find it useful to express a wide range of things and because I believe it can easily become a new form of individual expression. These visual compositions convey lots of personal messages but I have tried to also focus on issues that concern us all.
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Most of your work in “Pencil vs camera” project are cheerful or at least ironic. How do you see the world, what are your beliefs?

I’m rather an optimistic person. But I’m very realistic too. I’m often thinking about the end of life as we know it and about the phenomenal contrasts inherent to our human condition. I really hope human beings will change the way they live or we’ll definitely pay for all our mistakes and abuses. Irony and humor are good tools to evoke dramatic subjects.
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It seems some of your work contains content which varies from politics, culture, and even globally important questions like littering, global warming and so on. Are these things important to you?

Yes, as mentioned above, I really care about our future and environmental topics such as pollution of our planet are subjects that I like to refer on in my artistic work. I used to be a political cartoonist so I always have an opinion that I like to defend. I guess this is also the influence of my previous studies in Journalism. We all have a voice and an impact, those who can afford to speak freely should realize this is a huge chance. I believe it’s better to say anything that makes sense than nothing at all.
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Your biography tells you're from Ivory Coast. You live and work in Europe today. Has European culture and/or art made any significant influence to your African nature and character?

I just feel like a citizen of the world but yes, I was born in Ivory Coast, somehow by accident and lived there 7 years. And I’m now based in Brussels. I also lived in the UK and in Holland during my studies. So I’ve never belonged to any country, I’m neither a patriot nor a nationalist, I find beauty in every human being not in ideologies. In all honesty, I find Europeans more overconfident than any other people. This is part of our culture, but we should remember we’re all from the same species under the same rules. We don’t have control of everything.
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When you’re drawing or shooting, how does it feel to you? Is it an open improvisation, or do you know exactly what do you want to achieve?

Creating is the activity that gives me the biggest satisfaction, it has changed the way I live and see things around me. There is sometimes a lot of improvisation in my artistic work. I never know where I’m exactly going when I develop a new concept but I always work hard to get the results I want, but as soon as I spend too long on a series, I usually get bored very quickly and want to start something else.
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What does the word “art” mean to you? Does it have any difference to creativity?

I think “creative” art generates more interest in the public than “non creative” art but it doesn’t always need to be creative to be considered “art”. Anything can be called art in our modern society a long as there is a human being or at least an intellect behind it able to generate thoughts and hopefully emotions.
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What’s the smallest thing that means the most to you?

Waking up with the person I love is something that means a lot to me. It gives me strength and courage.
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Could you please just write your first thoughts related to these words:

Morning: Adventure, challenge, caffeine

Elegance: Birds, dancers, freedom

Nonsense: Weapons, wars, injustice

Beauty: Women/Men, Nature, Love

Cheek: Innocence, cuteness, kisses
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What is living? How does it feel to live?

Interesting and profound question. A synonym of “living” for me is “breathing”. I really long for fresh places full of oxygen. As long as I’ll be breathing, I’ll be living, hopefully as a free person. And it feels good to live.

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(*) "Šeimininkė" is a major weekly magazine based in Lithuania. The interview will also be available in Lithuanian.

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Exhibition of the "Pencil Vs Camera"
series at The Coach in Belgium

New Opium of the People
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After religion, television has become the opium of the people.
And it's being followed very closely by the Internet...

The above photo has been shot with the Samsung NX10, which
has been provided to me by Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

© 2010 - Ben Heine

Elvis Presley

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(See it on Flickr)

This is my circlist portrait of Elvis, the King of Rock and Roll. I've always admired him. I wanted to make something unusual and give him the aspect of a solid and invincible robot... but not a real "terminator" because he was especially a romantic man and a cultural icon with one of the most beautiful voices ever...

Please enlarge to see how it's done. I've only used circles of different sizes and colors on a black background. The whole portrait took me several days of intense work. The original image is big (10000 pixels wide). There is no trick, those circles aren't placed automatically, I've positioned each circle one by one (and I've left the yellow background unfinished on purpose). I'll soon post a YouTube video showing all the evolution before arriving to the final result. I'm now going to start a circlist portrait of Freddie Mercury.

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Making of:

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Details:
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© 2010 - Ben Heine

Mont des Arts
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This is where I used to revise my books when I made my degree in Journalism. I didn't use a fisheye lens, I have actually assembled some 14 photos I took when I was there 2 days ago. The original image is huge (12000 pixels wide - See the detail below).

The "Mont des Arts" (meaning "hill of the arts") is a historic site in the center of Brussels, Belgium. The showcase square was created for the Universal Exposition held in Brussels in 1910. The square and its surroundings gave way to massive, severely geometric postmodern structures such as the Royal Library of Belgium and the Congress Palace.

The above photo has been shot with the Samsung NX10, which
has been provided to me by Samsung Digital Imaging Co., Ltd.

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Random detail of the above image:



© 2010 - Ben Heine

Ben Heine interviewed
by Samsung Imaging (*)

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Portrait of Ben by Marcin Bondarowicz

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Please tell us about yourself

I’m a Belgian visual creator. I was born in Ivory Coast in 1983 and I now live and work in Brussels. I studied graphic arts and sculpture and I also have a degree in journalism although I’ve never really worked in that field. I currently have a part time job in the associative sector but I spend most of my time and energy at my personal artistic projects. I recently co-founded with my associate and agent a new art gallery called “The Artistery”.
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When did you start taking photos and what mostly influenced your motivation?

Photography has always interested me but I started taking pictures more seriously in 2006. Before 2006, I’ve mainly been working as a painter and illustrator. The photos of Gilad Benari are really those that gave me loads of ideas and motivation to start my own photo projects. It took months, even years before any of them received some good attention.
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Which object you like to focalize on when you take shots?

My favourite sources of inspiration in photography are nature and countryside. I just love fields, wild animals, empty spaces and paths with huge vanishing points. I’m also interested in architecture, urban landscapes, skyscrapers, massive buildings (I know it’s quite the opposite of the nature and countryside themes but I still love it because there are many things to express with it). I intend soon to have a more social approach and to focus on people, taking for instance close up portraits of random persons in their usual environment.
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Please describe how your experiences are as a Samsung Imageloger

I honestly feel really proud about it. I consider it a privilege. “Imageloger” (fusion of “image” and “blogger”) is quite the perfect description for me as I’ve been an active blogger since 2005 and also a passionate and prolific image creator since I’m a kid. I’ve always believed that any kind of successful communication is achieved with a subtle combination of textual and visual contents.

When I received the proposal to be supported as an imageloger, I was directly very excited and willing to discover Samsung Imaging’s latest gear and technologies. This is a totally new experience and I’m still discovering the NX10 I received. I’m very happy with its graphic results, its powerful sensor and other particular functions. I’ve for instance always wanted to get more inner quality in my photos, less grain and noise, more details, etc… And this is what I have now thanks to my new Samsung camera. I also enjoy its pleasant interface and its easy portability.
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Are there any changes in your life after you have been an imageloger?

Not yet, but I’m sure the best is to come and there will certainly be some major changes in my life. All I can say right now is that Samsung technologies have already allowed me to take photos with better quality and reach innovative visual effects in a new graphic matrix.
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Please tell us which is your favourite shot taken with the NX10?

The photo I prefer so far is “Symphony”, a black and white image I captured with the NX10 in the Belgian countryside, near Rochefort. The original shot was gorgeous but I’ve still heavily edited it to get the tones and contrasts I exactly wanted.
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What is the next plan for your life and for your photography?

After “Pencil Vs Camera“, I will be working on new creative series. I already have 3 different subjects in mind but I’d rather not reveal them yet. Travel is one of my priorities. I always want to move as far and a long as I can.
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Please give a message to all who are reading this

I hope they will be able to fulfil all their goals and dreams in their professional and private life. I wish them luck and success and I thank them for reading this interview till the end.

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(*) Samsung Imaging Blog: www.samsungimaging.net (The above interview appeared here)

Just Married!

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It happened the 26th of June...
One of the most beautiful days in my life.
I might post a few more pictures about this event.

Belgacom Towers
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A reflection of the Belgacom Towers located in Brussels.
The buildings take their name from the leading telecommunications
company. They are among the tallest skyscrapers in Belgium.
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Canal of Brussels
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One of the oldest navigable canals in Belgium and in Europe.
Construction work began in 1550 and lasted until 1561.
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Enjoying the Moment
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Peaceful moment in the gardens of
"Le Mont des Arts", a famous Belgian place...
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Enjoying the Moment

A poem by Peter S. Quinn

Enjoying the moment
In its day by going day
Their feature and foment
That’s coming the way
With sunshine spirits on
And touching a while
Until it’s again gone
With its summer smile

Like breeze in the alley
Among dreams going by
Of an urban dillydally
Under blue open sky
Contacts thru moments
Those feelings do employ
In picturesque fragments
Of buoyancy to enjoy

Listen to the fussing
Of people walking near
Some of it’s quite buzzing
Inside the close-by ear
As days go here about
Thru the lively street
Surrounded by turnout
In latest gladness beat
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The above photos have been shot with the Samsung NX10, which
has been provided to me by Samsung Digital Imaging Co., Ltd.

I've taken these photos 2 days ago in Brussels.
More photos from my city.

© 2010 - Ben Heine

Slideshow of the Week
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Some of my photos that have a strong blue in the sky...
sometimes with one or two little clouds ^^

Pencil Vs Camera - 30

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(See it on FLickr)
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I recently took this photo near Hannut in Belgium. I also made the rough sketch. I only drew things that came to my mind when I started this project. Sort of an improvisation... This also gave me the idea of a new video series that I might be doing and posting in the coming weeks... Thanks for your visit.

The above photo has been shot with the Samsung NX10, which has been provided to me by Samsung Digital Imaging Co., Ltd.

PS: The person on the left is Sebastian, a good friend of mine.

© 2010 - Ben Heine

Ben Heine interviewed

by MakeMyCreative (*)

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Caricature of Ben by Rohan Voigt
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Hello Ben, welcome to the MakeMyCreative platform! Please, introduce yourself, tell us more about your life and how you started in the creative field.

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Hello and thank you for introducing my work to MakeMyCreative’s audience. I’m a Belgian visual artist. I was born in Ivory Coast in 1983 and I now live and work in Brussels. I studied graphic arts and sculpture and I also have a degree in journalism.

I have always wished to become a “creator” and to be able to make a living with my passion. I seriously started to regularly produce traditional drawings and paintings at 14 years old. I opened my first blog and website when I was 19 years old. At the time of my studies in Journalism, I was a young autonomous, unknown, inexperienced and sometimes “wild” political cartoonist. I have done a couple of controversial political stuff, I’m not willing to go further in that direction.

I have always believed the Internet was a unique tool to get known worldwide, so I have constantly be sharing new and original artworks on my sites and I built a big network of contacts (friends and artists) on the web and this has helped me getting daily requests and commissions today… after several years of let’s say “free services”.

Every week is different and my style is evolving all the time. I’m now spending more energy in photography and digital painting. I don’t know what I’ll be doing next. But I’m sure I’ll be doing something and I’ll invest all my power and competences to achieve it.

I have also had the chance to meet and see several master painters at work such as Sebastian Kruger, Marcin Bondarowicz, Jean Paul De Moor and many others. They gave me priceless tips.

I’m now co-founding with my associate and agent a new art gallery called “The Artistery”. I’ve also recently been sponsored by Samsung Digital Imaging.

How would you describe your work, style – your approach to design and illustration?

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I’m open to many graphic styles and try to not exclude any interesting and new visual effects in my creative work. I admit that Belgian Surrealism, American Pop Art, German Expressionism and Social Realism are the main artistic movements that inspired me so far.

I’m not really interested in repeating what others have already done in the past so I’m constantly searching for unseen and unexpected forms of visual expression.

Could you tell us about your career? your favourite project? your current or upcoming projects.

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I started as a traditional drawer and painter (portraits and illustrations), then I became a digital artist and photographer and I’m now mixing everything together to realize my new projects. I enjoyed working on my portraits series of Michael Jackson and Barack Obama. I’m now focusing on 2 new and ongoing series called “Pencil Vs Camera” and “Digital circlism”.

The first one has had a massive and unexpected impact on the web. I’ll be posting more PvsC creations in the coming weeks. The second one has also generated some interest but I must develop it a bit more. I intend to work on new original series in the near future. I have a rough idea of it already, but it’s not super clear yet and I don’t want to give too many details…

Tell us about the programs you work in. some tips you want to share with us.

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Now that I’m more into digital painting and photography, I’m mainly working with Photoshop CS4 and CS5 but I’m sometimes using other great and powerful softwares such as Alchemy, Painter or ZBrush. The only tip I will give is “don’t think the program you’re working with will make your creations become masterpieces”.

What are your favourite websites that you visit before starting a new project? What makes them unique?

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I don’t have one or a few websites that I visit all the time, I guess I produce more than I consume… But in general, I keep an eye on specialized art websites that are often updated with lots of exclusive and attractive visual content such as Brazil based “Abduzeedo”, among many others…

Your works are unique. Can you tell us what inspires you? Can you give a particular example of how the idea of making an artwork was created?

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Thank you. Everything around me inspires me. When I say everything, it’s everything. My best ideas always came by accident, while I was doing something totally random, like taking a shower, brushing my teeth, having a refreshing walk outside. Usually, any new idea from me is the continuity of what I’ve done just before. Please, visit my portfolio to see for yourself.

Time is the topic of many of your works, what inspires you to create these projects?

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Time is a great source of inspiration for me and for so many other artists. We’re all under the influence of time. The end of life is always near and there is something scary about it. Making artworks about this topic is somehow a way to canalize our fears.

What is the most important thing you have learned after you started doing design?

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Hard work, talent, originality and sincerity are the best ingredients to reach your goals in the creative world...

It was a pleasure talking to you. A few final thoughts. What would you wish the designers reading this interview?

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I wish them all the best, lots of success, luck and happiness. I think the best gift for designers and creators is to get their works seen by others. So go for it.

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(*) MakeMyCreative blog: blog.makemycreative.in

© 2010 - Ben Heine

Tour de France in Braives!

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Just a tiny and fast moment during the Tour
de France's "stage 2": Brussels to Spa (201km)

I captured this video 2 days ago in Braives, Belgium

The above video has been recorded with the Samsung NX10, which
has been provided to me by Samsung Digital Imaging Co., Ltd

© 2010 - Ben Heine