Gallery Sofie Van de Velde - Dirk Van Saene, Artist Portfolios, Edouard Devriendt

Discover a first selection of works from Dirk Van Saene’s new solo exhibition 'All Nightingales Understand One Another'. Van Saene once again turns to the human figure. Angular and fragile, yet remarkably tender, his figures give physical form to emotions that are often difficult to put into words. The new series grew partly out of Van Saene’s concern with a growing lack of empathy in the world around him. Rather than addressing this directly, he explores vulnerability, tenderness and human connection through the emotional language that has long characterised his practice.The title 'All Nightingales Understand One Another' captures this idea poetically: the possibility of understanding one another without the need for explanation.

The collaboration between artists and writers in the creation of portfolios and illustrated books dates back to the fifteenth century. The oldest known illustrated book is the Egyptian Book of the Two Ways, dating from around 2050 BC, while the first illustrated printed books appeared around 1450. From the end of the nineteenth century onwards, portfolios experienced a remarkable flourishing. Whether created in collaboration with writers or conceived independently, they have continued to offer artists an inspiring challenge, while providing writers with an opportunity to reach a broader and more diverse audience. They may also be regarded as a means of making art more accessible and democratic. At the same time, many illustrated books and portfolios stand out for their exceptional craftsmanship and refinement.

Following his exhibition at The Wunderwall, Edouard Devriendt presents his first solo exhibition with the gallery. The exhibition brings together a new series of paintings in which he continues his exploration of memory, perception and the emotional charge of familiar images. Devriendt’s paintings often begin with fleeting encounters. A house, a bowl of fruit or a tree is photographed instinctively on his phone and later becomes the starting point for a painting. As he paints, the original image gradually gives way to memory and atmosphere. What remains is recognisable, but at the same time slightly removed from reality. Through restrained colour and surfaces that deliberately remain unresolved, Devriendt transforms ordinary subjects into images that feel both familiar and distant. Rather than telling a fixed story, the paintings leave space for personal associations and memories to emerge.

The Wunderwall is moving. From September onwards, our platform for emerging artists will leave the gallery and take up a new, permanent position in the display window of our office, directly across the street. Visible day and night, the new location gives each artist their own space for approximately six weeks. A QR code connects the physical presentation with The Wunderwall Online, where visitors can discover more about the artist, their practice and the works on view.

The new Wunderwall opens with Noa Balon. In his work, Balon embraces the struggle of painting: the attempts, detours, hesitation and coincidences that occur along the way. Rather than searching for a perfect outcome, he allows the process itself to become part of the work.