Koksijde honours painter Paul Delvaux with new exhibitions

The municipality of Koksijde is honouring the Belgian painter Paul Delvaux with two exhibitions this year. Delvaux, who died exactly 30 years ago, spent a large part of his life on the Belgian coast.

Delvaux (1897 - 1994) was known for his dreamlike scenes of female nudes, classical architecture, trains and skeletons. Although influenced by the work of artists such as René Magritte, he developed his own style by combining hyper-realistic painting with surrealist subjects.

Delvaux created a "poetic realism" that won him international acclaim

Delvaux was often grouped with Belgian Surrealism, but he found this interpretation of his work too narrow and superficial. He created a "poetic realism" that won him international acclaim.

The Ten Bogaerde art centre will host a new exhibition entitled 5 + 1: Paul Delvaux in Dialogue. The exhibition, which juxtaposes Delvaux's work with that of contemporary artists, will be on show until 29 September. 

The triennial flower event Koket Koksijde will also be dedicated to the artist this year

The Paul Delvaux Museum will be opening its doors with a new exhibition entitled The Body and the Background, a Harmonious Interplay. The museum also has a permanent collection of Delvaux's works.

The triennial flower event Koket Koksijde will also be dedicated to the artist this year. The flower exhibition can be visited from 19 to 23 September. The last day of the exhibition is symbolically the painter's birthday.

^{#FlandersNewsService | Éloge de la mélancolie by Paul Delvaux on display in New York in 2013 © AFP PHOTO/Emmanuel Dunand}