‘INHABITENCE’ marks Marc Vanderleenen’s seventh solo exhibition at our gallery. The exhibition presents new paintings, including a series of singerie works. The singerie theme was first introduced around 1575 by Pieter van der Borcht and later revisited by Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin in his painting The Monkey Painter (1739).
Vanderleenen’s singeries are reinterpretations of Chardin’s iconic composition, engaging in a dialogue with this historical tradition while translating it into his own distinctive visual language.
Alongside these works, a completely new series of paintings takes its point of departure from "Nude on a Couch" by Walter Sickert. This body of work introduces what might be described as a stylistic shift within Vanderleenen’s oeuvre. While remaining faithful to his characteristic tonal palette, the engagement with Sickert’s intimate and psychologically charged composition opens up a different painterly dynamic, marking a subtle yet significant evolution in his practice.
Born in Mechelen in 1952, Marc Vanderleenen lives and works in Antwerp.

Artists: Marc Vanderleenen