Stefan Serneels

A way in a space with neither here nor there

The multidisciplinary work of Stefan Serneels (1961) presents a dark and ominous universe. He invariably draws and paints with an underlying sense of menace. It seems at first sight as though something is not quite right in his compositions. Empty staircases, domestic interiors, distorted perspectives and unrecognizable, enigmatic figures form the main elements of his work.
Serneels’ palette is mostly restricted to black and white in his paintings and drawings, with light coming solely from the blanks in the white ground layer. Everything contributes to the sense of alienation, the surreal, and the nagging unease that typifies his work. The artist himself is reluctant to explain his associative, subconscious dreamworld more explicitly, preferring to allow his ambiguous work to ferment and grow undisturbed. You are drawn as spectator into a pulsating trip through his labyrinthine body of work.
The exhibition at De Garage centres on the sketchbooks Stefan Serneels has used in recent years, which constitute an intimate laboratory, offer space for reflection and reveal the artist at his most exploratory.

Artists: Stefan Serneels