Kevin Vanwonterghem's drawings evoke an imaginary world in which landscape elements form the building blocks for fictional, sometimes surreal settings. Each landscape lacks human presence and goes beyond the pure representation of a setting. His current sources of inspiration are the relationship between culture and nature, along with religion and science. Triggered by what lies in the twilight zone between the mystical and explicable, Kevin Vanwonterghem explores how humans still need magic and wonder in postmodern times of demythologisation.
Because of his preference to draw with charcoal, Vanwonterghem’s visual universe is defined by strong light-dark contrasts and nuances. During his creative process much attention is paid to the viewing experience. The use of very dark pressed charcoal on paper allows him to obtain very deep black tones. His velvety executed landscapes immerse the beholder into a dark mysterious atmosphere, somewhere between reality and fiction, between objectification and romanticism. The concept of the image and the aesthetic experience are equally important.
Kevin Vanwonterghem (b1984) currently lives and works in Destelbergen, Belgium. He graduated from Luca – School of Arts, Ghent in 2007 with a Master’s degree in Visual Arts - option Illustration. Afterwards, he studied Printmaking at the Academy of Visual Arts, Ghent. His works on paper have been presented in several solo shows and in group shows in Belgium. Among others, his work was included in exhibitions at the Tabaksmuseum in Wervik (2022), the Cultural Centre De Warande, Turnhout (2019) and Museum Dhondt-Dhaenens (2016). The artist is also working as a teacher in Graphic Arts at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zottegem, Belgium.