Discover and Paint China — A Belgian Painter in China

PHILIPPE Herman Dequesne, a Belgian painter who lives and works in Paris, was born in Brussels in 1954. After graduating with a degree in architecture, he worked for 15 years in an architectural firm until 1996 when he quit his job to take up painting.

- LIU YANQING

More than 30 years ago, he met Rémy Aron, a famous French painter and a Chevalier of the French Order of Arts and Letters, and became his student. Today he creates still lifes, landscapes, interiors, and seascapes in a unique style. For more than 20 years, he has exhibited his artwork in France, Belgium, the U.S., and recently in China.

He has come to China to hold painting exhibitions three times over the past three years. The trip to China profoundly modified his vision of the world and thereby impacted his artistic creation. “Since my return to Paris, I continue to paint what I see, but also like my Chinese friends, add a little bit of poetry,” he said.

Wenzhou: Meeting Chinese Artists and Villagers

In May 2018, Dequesne arrived in Wenzhou in southern China for the first time, as part of the event “Painting and Nature: When Paris Meets Wenzhou,” which brought together nine Chinese artists and nine French artists. It was initiated by Zhou Jianpeng and Rémy Aron, president of the French Association of Plastic Arts.

In Wenzhou, one of the big cities of Zhejiang Province with a developed economy and rich natural and cultural resources, artists from both countries spent two busy weeks together on thematic exhibition, academic exchanges, and painting inspired by local sights.

“In Wenzhou, I had the chance to participate in a meeting between Chinese and French artists on the theme of landscape painting. It was not possible for each of us to paint like each other, but we were able to engage in an exchange while preserving the features of each individual in dialogue, sharing, and friendship,” said Dequesne.