Bogaert (An)Toon

Toon (Antoon) Bogaert is a Belgian artist, born in Wetteren in 1935. He is a painter, draftsman and graphic artist. He received his education at Sint-Lucas in Ghent and at the Academy in Wetteren. He made his debut as an abstract artist and evolved into figuration with expressive landscapes, picturesque corners and cityscapes. In his works he is always fascinated by the play of light. From the press: “Initially, B.T. worked abstractly for a few years. However, his preference soon went to figuration. Landscapes, cityscapes, figures: a variety of subjects, recreated with a marker into atmospheric etchings or transformed with acrylic paint into highly expressive paintings, in which light and shadow are expressed in almost monochrome depths and undertones.” In 1957 he won the Gold Government Medal at the Academy in Wetteren, in 1960 silver in the Grand Prix of the city of Ostend, in 1968 the first prize for etching art in Villers-la-Ville, in 1977 the Ghent Maritime Interests Prize. From 1960 he was a teacher of plastic arts at the Sint-Lievenscollege in Ghent, from 1963 a teacher of monumental arts, composition, techniques and etchings. He was also a living model at the Academy in Wetteren. Toon Bogaert exhibited in Ghent, Wetteren, Ronse, Brakel/Germany, Ostend, Brussels, Leuven, Mechelen, Kruishoutem and in many galleries in the Flemish part. IN 2006 a tribute exhibition was held in the cultural center Nova IN Wetteren. (Piron)