Interview with Christel Van Hemelrijck — Contemporary Art Curator Magazine

Christel uses oil painting on canvas to present us her lyric expressionism visions. She is a self-taught artist, based in Mechelen, Belgium. The island of Crete remains her major source of inspiration, along with her travel experiences. Christel has lived in Crete during the 90s and she still spends a lot of time there. Her emotions are expressed through the language of bold colors, with laconic, solid composition and delicate texture mainly on large canvasses. Every painting is a story. Soon after starting out in 2017 she has had several exhibitions in Belgium. Lately Christel had the opportunity to present her work in Lisbon, Amsterdam, London and Venice.

Could you please introduce yourself and tell us how you started in the arts? and your first experience in art-making?

I am a self-taught artist, born in Belgium in 1966. I have had a career as an executive producer in television before I discovered art as a way of expressing myself. Almost 3 years ago I started on my first series of paintings. At first there was something very cathartic about making art and it slowly evolved into a passion.

Dusk Over Galipe- Christel Van Hemelrijck 120x120.jpg

How would you describe yourself and your artwork?

All my paintings are stories about people I met and places I visited. The emotions I feel when I reminisce are translated onto the canvas. In my first series I used a lot of colours and I worked only with palette knifes. Later on my work became more minimalistic. I still use bright colours, mostly red or blue. Always balancing between passion and serenity, who are equally important to me.

Fantasme-Christel Van Hemelrijck 120x100.jpg

Where do you get your inspiration from?

The island of Crete remains my major source of inspiration, along with my travel experiences. I have lived in Crete during the 90s and I still spend a lot of time in the southwest part of the island. It always feels like coming home, every moment I spend over there invigorates me. Life in general inspires me to make art but I did notice that new experiences always entice me to make art.

Four Days in Lisbon - Christel Van Hemelrijck 80 x 120 cm.jpg

What emotions do you hope the viewers experience when looking at your art?

As an artist you always hope that your work doesn’t leave people indifferent. I hope my art inspires the viewers and takes them on a journey.

Gialiskari Breaks - Christel Van Hemelrijck 100x90.jpg

When do you know that an artwork is finished?

I know it is finished when I feel it is balanced. I have learned to resist the urge to tweak it. Often you ruin a good piece when you keep working on it.

Glyka Nera - Christel Van Hemelrijck 120x100.jpg

What has been the most exciting moment in your art career so far?

There have been so many moments which makes it very difficult to choose. I had my first gallery offer a few months after I started painting, needless to say I was very excited that it happened so soon after starting out. My first exhibition abroad, which was in Lisbon, was also great. And then of course my solo exhibitions were thrilling, a little frightening the first time but exciting nevertheless. I only started painting a few years ago so to me every single step is still very exciting.

Le Requin - Christel van Hemelrijck 100x140.jpg

How long does it take to produce one work?

Usually I work in layers so it takes a few days to finish an artwork. The first layer has to dry slightly before applying the next one.

What exciting projects are you working on right now? Can you share some of the future plans for your artwork?

I am working on 2 series for the moment, “Selino” and “STORIES”. The first one is based on my encounters in Greece. And “STORIES” is about the important people and experiences in my life and how they influenced me.