Swennen Walter

Walter Swennen is a Belgian artist, born in Vorst (Brussels) in 1946. He is a painter, conceptual artist, poet and psychologist. He studied philosophy at the State University in Ghent. He became friends with M. Broodthaers and, in his own words, ended up in painting by chance, coming from poetry.

He made his debut in the early 1980s. In his work, the image was initially used to reinforce the word. His first paintings were thus text-based. Gradually, the word was undermined by the eloquence of the image.

He learned to draw by copying comic strips. His imagery is drawn from advertising, comics, graffiti, schoolbooks and coffeepots. His technique is impulsive and personal. Presented in a loose and linear way, his subjects seem to float above a pictorially elaborate background.

Works by Walter Swennen can be found in the MuHKA in Antwerp and in the museums of Ghent and Ixelles. (Piron)