Smet Gust

Gust (August) Smet was a Belgian artist, born in Sint-Niklaas in 1911 and died in Lokeren in 1997. He was a painter and draftsman. Smet received his training at the Academy in Sint-Niklaas under the guidance of A. Proost, S. Wynants, and A. Horenbant (1922-1934). He then continued his studies at Sint-Lucas and Ter Kameren in Brussels.
His works from the 1950s show influences from Braque, Ernst, and Chagall. Later, he painted landscapes and his style evolved towards fantastique and phantasmagoria. According to the press: "In the landscapes and still lifes of the 1960s, G.S. was not aiming for a faithful representation of reality, but rather the expression of the inner feeling of the real reference point. This inner emotionality has remained the core of his later work, which clearly broke through the regional circle." He painted compositions with figures that breathe fantastique, in which intriguing characters and plants emerge.
According to the press: "G.S. continually focuses on humans in his canvases. Sometimes he achieves remarkable serenity or applies a poetic touch. But often, he paints faces of fear, with eyes reflecting the helplessness and dismay of the contemporary 'mortal'. The treatment of figures for G.S. is almost always an excuse to create an unreal, often threatening atmosphere, and occasionally let the thought of death seep through. The works that Gust paints possess a restrained drama. The self-portraits show a tormented and wounded man."
From 1956, he worked in Lokeren. He was a member of the Piet Stautkring in Beveren-Waas. A tribute exhibition was held in Sint-Martens-Latem in 1976. Other exhibitions were held in Lokeren in 1986 and 1991. He is mentioned in Two Centuries of Signatures of Belgian Artists. (Piron)