Berlinde De Bruyckere

Berlinde De Bruyckere: transforming bodies

Berlinde De Bruyckere was born in 1964 in Ghent, Belgium, where she lives and works. The artist has participated in international events such as the 50th Venice Biennale, Padiglione Italia (2003), as the artist representing the Belgium Pavilion for the 55th Venice Biennale (2013) and the 15th Istanbul Biennale (2017). Her works have recently been exhibited in prestigious international museums.
These include the Leopold Museum in Vienna (2016), the National Gallery of Iceland, Reykjavik (2016) and the Kunsthaus Bregenz, Austria (2015). Many of her works have also entered private collections. These include the Gori Collection, Fattoria di Celle, Pistoia; Sandretto Re Rebaudengo Foundation, Turin; La Maison Rouge, Foundation Antoine de Galbert, Paris and De Pont Foundation, the Netherlands.Fondation Antoine da Galbert, Paris and the De Pont Foundation, the Netherlands.
Berlinde De Bruyckere’s work deals with the transformation, transcendence and reconciliation of bodies in the face of mortality. These bodies are often animal, human or inanimate. She is often inspired by the legacies of the European Old Masters and Christian iconography, as well as mythology and cultural lore. Berlinde De Bruyckere plays on existing histories and imagery with new narratives that are suggested by the artist's choice and then manipulation of, her materials.