
Claeys Juul
Juul Claeys was a Belgian artist, born in Gottem in 1930 and died in Zeveren/Ghent in 2002. He was a painter and draftsman. From around 1946 he combined the profession of pilot-navigator with a late education at the Academy in Deinze under the supervision of Roger Raveel and André Blondeel, as well as at the Academy in Ghent under the supervision of Jan Burssens. Together with Raveel and fellow students he worked on panels and wall decorations. In his early works, Claeys, like Raveel, painted everyday scenes from village life and portraits of his wife, Simmonne. Later, he drew inspiration from the cosmic realm of aviation, before transitioning, influenced by literature and travels, to a bold abstract expressionist style. He admired artists such as Francis Bacon, Jackson Pollock, and Jean-Michel Basquiat.
The press noted: "Juul Claeys is at his best when painting nudes, visibly struggling with body forms. His figures rarely have faces or clear bodily outlines, but the female silhouettes often assume graceful poses reminiscent of a ballerina or professional glamour model."
His son Peter on his later work: "Up until the late 1990s, he created numerous expressive works balancing between figurative and abstract. By the late 1990s, he developed what I would describe as a recycling technique. He no longer drew inspiration from reality but from his own previous works. This led to a puzzle-like, almost decorative style."
His friend Marcase added: "Color and line intertwine in a close embrace. Tormented figures in flaming colors are restrained by dark contours, as if he sought control over his passions, joys, and fears. Humanity literally dances the dance of life here."
From 1972 to 1995, Claeys was a painting instructor at the Academy in Deinze. His work is featured in the Museum of Deinze. In 2004, he was posthumously honored with the exhibition "Juul Claeys Posthumous" at the Museum of Deinze and the Leie Region in Deinze.
(Piron)