Johan Van MullemOrigin16 October - 30 November 2013

Johan Van MullemOrigin16 October - 30 November 2013

ForewordText by Jessica Warren

Johan Van Mullems painted works in ink on board are deeply personal creations that depict imagined portraits, figures, and characters from the artists subconscious. In his body of work, Van Mullem explores the evocative possibilities of ink, and its capacity for depth and meaning with an impressive sense of honesty and sincerity. Richly coloured pigments flow into and around each other, leaving wisps of smoke in place of brush strokes, and bestowing the works with an anthropomorphic quality. The materials appear to be reacting and interacting with each other long after the artists brush has been removed. It is this combination of a unique approach to medium and a conscious method of painting that recasts Van Mullems portraits as otherworldly apparitions. While these figurative transmutations appear throughout Van Mullems oeuvre, it is only with Origin that we are finally presented with the most stripped-back version of his artistic vision.

The works on show are best described as a prequel to Van Mullems earlier series, Movements of the Soul (2011-2012). Where older works depicted figures in a more traditional sense - still dream-like and ephemeral, yet retaining a certain tangibility - these new paintings explore the concept of the beginning in the most literal sense. As a result, we see the introduction of figures with multiple faces, where atoms replace features, and sweeping brushstrokes give way to profiles that appear to be infinitely moving. The individual lines and strokes that make up these figures move towards abstraction not in the sense of nothingness, but rather in the sense that the apparent deconstruction of these figures symbolizes the very molecules that make them up and allow them to exist. Van Mullems focus on movement is best explained by his desire to connect the past with the future as a way of illustrating the perpetual force of energy that is so crucial to his painted subjects.

In addition, Van Mullems exploration of light, form, and colour in this series is far more theoretical and in depth than what we have previously seen. The prevalence of the colour purple is one such element that is intrinsically tied to Van Mullems concept of creation. Van Mullem sees purple as the perfect summation of evolution, infinite consciousness, and of spiritual understanding for him, the three most crucial aspects of his concept of origin. We also see the introduction of titles in these new works, a departure from the previous series where all pieces were Sans Titre. This perhaps indicates the more interactive or more informative role that the artist as creator may play in this series. All invented subjects from the artists psyche, with Origin it is almost as if we are granted unrestricted access into Van Mullems artistic vision John Malkovich style.

While still retaining elements of Van Mullems traditional style a bold handling of paint, fluid brush strokes, and haunting figures these new pieces are bursting with a wider range of colour and are much more abstract than what we have seen before. However, what remains the same is Van Mullems ability to lead us into a world that is entirely his own creation.

Johan Van Mullem, Origin will be on show at Hus Gallery, 10 Hanover Sreet, W1S 1YE, London from 16 October through 30 November.

SANS TITRE (THE ORIGIN OF THE WORLD)

Ink on board140cm x 120cm, 2013

VMULJ-0515

SANS TITRE

Mixed media on board140cm x 180cm, 2013

VMULJ-0530

SANS TITRE

Ink on board180cm x 140cm, 2013

VMULJ-0528

SANS TITRE

Mixed media on board140cm x 180cm, 2013

VMULJ-0634

SANS TITRE

Ink on board140cm x 100cm, 2013

VMULJ-0674

SANS TITRE

Ink on board100cm x 70cm, 2013

VMULJ-0606

SANS TITRE

Ink on board100cm x 70cm, 2013

VMULJ-0608

SANS TITRE

Ink on board200cm x 140cm, 2013

VMULJ-0650

SANS TITRE

Ink on board60cm x 40cm, 2013

VMULJ-0587

SANS TITRE

Ink on board100cm x 140cm, 2013

VMULJ-0631

SANS TITRE

Ink on board140cm x 100cm, 2013

VMULJ-0626

SANS TITRE

Ink on board140cm x 100cm, 2013

VMULJ-0622

SANS TITRE

Ink on board140cm x 100cm, 2013

VMULJ-0628

SANS TITRE

Ink on board60cm x 40cm, 2013

VMULJ-0548

SANS TITRE

Ink on board60cm x 40cm, 2013

VMULJ-0550

SANS TITRE

Ink on board60cm x 40cm, 2013

VMULJ-0581

SANS TITRE

Ink on board60cm x 40cm, 2013

VMULJ-0551

SANS TITRE

Ink on board60cm x 40cm, 2013

VMULJ-0572

SANS TITRE

Ink on board60cm x 40cm, 2013

VMULJ-0553

SANS TITRE

Ink on board60cm x 40cm, 2013

011331

SANS TITRE

Ink on board60cm x 40cm, 2013

011358

SANS TITRE

Ink on board60cm x 40cm, 2013

VMULJ-0540

SANS TITRE

Ink on board60cm x 40cm, 2013

VMULJ-0656

SANS TITRE

Ink on boardEach 30cm x 20cm, 2013

VMULJ-0661, VMULJ-0658, VMULJ-0660, VMULJ-0659

1959

Born in Isiro, Democratic Republic of the Congo

1978-1985

lInstitut Suprieur dArchitecture

1990-1991

Ecole des Arts dIxelles, section Gravure, atelier de Ccile Massart et Anne Kellens

SOLO EXHIBITONS

2010Chapelle de Boondael, Brussels, Belgium

Kunstgalerij Anarto, Belgium

2011Arthus Gallery, Brussels, Belgium

2012Movements of the Soul, Hus Gallery & Andipa Gallery, London

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2010Galerie 29, Belgium

Art Gallery 826, Knokke, Belgium

t Contemporain Dracenois, France

Lineart Gand, Belgium

2011Hus Gallery &

SEM-ART Gallery, Monaco

2012Hus Gallery, Gstaad, Switzerland

For more information please contact info@husgalleries.comWWW.HUSGALLERIES.COM

Photography by Fabienne Cresens (studio shots) and Vincent EverartsDesign by Red Giant rglondon.co.uk

Biography