SOFACQ Gallery
Jan Van Imschoot (°1963) belongs to the generation of artists in Belgium who continues a purified pictorial tradition, and can therefore be seen in conjunction with artists such as Luc Tuymans himself, Thierry De Cordier or Michaël Borremans.
As varied as their style and theme, their oeuvre is characterized by a similar craftsmanship that continues the art of the old classics in a contemporary way. For Jan Van Imschoot, this is not without controversy, especially thematically. Each work is a perfect combination of ridicule, destruction and gnashing of teeth.
His oeuvre can best be described as "contemporary Baroque with a good dose of anarchy", also called anarcho-baroque. Van Imschoot brushes wild portraits and busy interior images, alternately with a mocking, challenging or scary touch. The visual richness hidden behind his canvases refers to current events as well as world literature, while the ambiguity of his titles betrays a great readiness. The artist therefore wants his work to be read in a literary way, so that the painted image offers a deeper insight into human existence, full of conflicting feelings and internal conflicts.
The works are dominated by fascinating reminiscences and cross-references to known traditions: the intensity of Tintoretto, the spotlight of Ensor, the color palette of van Gogh, the busts of Goya, but depicted with the unruly state of mind of the artist in the present.
Van Imschoot Jan, L'adoration de François pour Judith, 2014.
Oil on canvas, 130 x 195 cm.
Van Imschoot Jan, Peter, Paul, Hélène and Maimouna in the Mirror, 2017.
Oil on canvas, 50 x 244 cm.