Tim Van Laere Gallery is pleased to present the fourth solo show by Ben Sledsens: Under The Tree Distant Sea.

Ben Sledsens (°1991, Antwerp, Belgium. Lives and works in Antwerp) combines his in-depth knowledge of the visual tradition with his own mythology. With his large-scale canvases, he shows us fragments from his imaginary world, a utopia in which he himself wants to live. His colors and reinterpretations of the landscape are reminiscent of artists such as Henri Matisse, Pierre Bonnard, Claude Monet, Henri Rousseau and Pieter Brueghel the Elder. Although his landscapes, portraits, historical and everyday scenes have an idyllic appearance, there is also a certain tension and mystery in his scenes. He always builds up his compositions around a moment of climax with an open beginning and end. By reusing motifs, themes, objects and poses, Sledsens creates an intriguing puzzle of references and builds a recognizable, coherent, romantic and utopian oeuvre.

The artist's work is in several international collections, including The State Hermitage Museum (Saint Petersburg), M HKA (Antwerp), CAC (Malaga), Kunstmuseum Lucerne (Lucerne), Fundación Canaria para el Desarrollo de la Pintura (Las Palmas De Gran Canaria), Kotze Kunsgalery (Flower Fountain), Nassima Landau Art Foundation (Tel Aviv).

Artists: Ben Sledsens