Desmet, Etienne

Etienne Desmet is a Belgian artist, born in Ghent in 1943. He is a sculptor, printmaker, and draftsman. He studied at the Academy of Ghent under the guidance of A. Servaes, R. Heylbroeck, and B. Coolen, and at the National Higher Institute in Antwerp under M. Macken. Meanwhile, he also worked in the studios of W. Sybrands, J. Burssens, and P. Vlerick.

Desmet designs elegant plant forms or fragments, structures in which geometric shapes are placed in an unusual atmosphere, creating works that sometimes bridge the gap between figuration and abstraction with grace. He initially worked in marble and polyester, until 1985 when he began carving and sawing in wood. Later, a more pronounced geometric style developed, with contrasts between materials and between polished and rough surfaces. Since the early 1990s, he has focused mainly on geometric sculptures in steel.

From the press: “In the early 1970s, E.D. created giant fruits, an apple or a pear, in bronze and marble. In the second half of the 1970s, he turned to plant forms and floral motifs, reflecting the elegant lines of Art Nouveau. Since 1986, he has experimented with wood. With split beams, he builds suggestive shapes of long plants with unfolded leaves, from which a stamen emerges. Since the 1990s, he also creates toothed steel sculptures with a geometric character.”

His work is part of the collection of the Middelheim Park in Antwerp. Etienne Desmet is listed in BAS I and Two Centuries of Signatures of Belgian Artists. (Piron)