Biography
1957
Born on 12 October in the Vandekerckhove-Pottie
family in Ingelmunster. He grows up with the scent of turpentine and oil
paint. Father Jan is a talented draftsman and portraitist, mother Martha
loves art.
From 1963
Spends much time on drawing, among others, a comic strip
version of the Lion of Flanders and illustrations for Norwegian and Greek
mythology. Early television images are also translated into children's
drawings: the ski jumping on New Year's Day in Garmish Partenkirchen,
the final sprint in the Tour of Flanders, the mountains of the Tour de
France and Captain Zeppos. A happy childhood which he often spent with
his meanwhile deceased and childless godfather Raf, gardener and nature
lover on the rural estate De Lampetten . It is here that the
seeds of his fascination for gardeners in greenhouses and 'closed' gardens
were sown.
1969-1975
Studies at the St.-Jozefscollege in Izegem, subject Latin
- Mathematics. At that time he makes countless drawings and etchings about
Dante's Inferno .
1975-1979
Studies art history at the University of Ghent and makes
his thesis about the British artist David Hockney. During this period
he makes his first oil paintings, depicting for the most part hermits
in a blue neon-lighted city.
1980
Meets his later wife Christine Declercq and moves to Brussels
where he makes his debut as an artist. Meets Willy Van den Bussche, former
director of the PMMK, for the first time.
1981 and 1983
Selected for the Prix de la Jeune Peinture Belge
in the Paleis voor Schone Kunsten in Brussels.
1983
Prize winner of Stimulans , nominated by Willy Van
den Bussche.
1984
Moves to Ghent, where he initially sets up his workshop in
the Bernard Spaelaan. Via the exhibition Prijswinnaars in the
Museum van Hedendaagse Kunst in Ghent (currently the SMAK) gallery
owner Marc Deweer gets acquainted with the work of Hans Vandekerckhove.
1986
Is selected by Deweer Art Gallery for a first solo exhibition in the
newly-built gallery for international contemporary art. Shows paintings
with sitting figures in claustrophobic interiors. These figures are
representations of Hieronymus as depicted in the famous etching by Albrecht
Dürer. Since then he has exhibited his work every two years in
the Deweer Art Gallery.
Is invited in Washington and New York for the Belgian 20th Century
Art at the IMF and in gallery Denise Cadé.
1987
Moves to a nineteenth-century industrial building in Ghent-centrum.
Lives a very secluded life with his wife and children, Artuur (°1982)
and Laura (°1988). Winner of the Kunstbeeldprijs (Holland)
.
1988
Exhibits the paintings Sacra conversatione in the
Deweer Art Gallery. As a hermit he has sufficient time to satisfy his
passion for literature and especially his preference for books written
by Thomas Mann, Gerard Reve, Samuel Beckett and Céline. He breaks
through the limits of his ivory tower by travels, long walks and frequent
cinema visits with as absolute favourites the film makers Andrej Tarkovski,
Akira Kurosawa and Stanley Kubrick.
1989-1993
Spends the summers in Tuscany and Umbria and is fascinated
by Late Medieval and Renaissance painting. Especially the frescos by Giotto
in Assisi and the frescos by Fra Angelico in Florence lie at the bottom
of his personal view on painting.
1990
Exhibits the series Illuminations and Cimabue
in the Association for the Museum van Hedendaagse Kunst in Ghent.
1991
Selected for Modernism in Painting in the PMMK.
1993
Participates in the Belgische Kontraste in the
Transart Gallery in Cologne.
1996
Selected for Confrontaties, 101 Belgische kunstenaars
(Dublin, Johannesburg, Luxembourg, Brussels, Antwerp, ...)
1997-2004
He is strongly attracted by the English landscape, Cornwall,
the Scottish Highlands and isles, and the mysticism of nature in Dungeness,
where film maker Derek Jarman has his garden.
1997
The death of godfather Raf and the visit to Dungeness are
the basis for the paintings Een schilder is een tuinman and De
hof van Heden in Gallery De Boeck . Is also inspired by the castle
garden of Paule and Karel De Boeck. In an article by Paul Geerts in the
Financieel Ekonomische Tijd of 06/03/1999 Vandekerckhove says that "The
garden is the domain of childhood. It also refers to the initial beginning,
the source, when creation and love coincided."
Visit to the workshop by Willy Van den Bussche, who encourages Hans Vandekerckhove to continue on the road he has taken.
Visit to the workshop by Willy Van den Bussche, who encourages Hans Vandekerckhove to continue on the road he has taken.
2000
Is selected for the exhibition Contemporary Art of Belgium
in the CBE-Frankfurt. Hof&Huyser in Amsterdam selects a number
of recent paintings for a solo presentation in the gallery.
2002
Selected for the exhibition De tuinen van Granada
in the PMMK.
2003-2004
Solo exhibition in PMMK Ostend, entitled "Stalking Hiëronymus"
(with Kiefer and Penck). High press coverage.
2005-2006
Spends time in Wales and continues the landscape paintings.
2007
'My head is my only home', first publication about Vandekerckhoves
paintings (1997-2006), edited by Ludion. Presention in SMAK with selection
by curator Philippe Van Cauteren
Presentation of paintings from private and public collections in Madrid.'La mirada ciega', a dialogue with works of Juan Muñoz.
Spends summer in the French Alps for a walking journey in search of a mountain greenhouse.
Presentation of paintings from private and public collections in Madrid.'La mirada ciega', a dialogue with works of Juan Muñoz.
Spends summer in the French Alps for a walking journey in search of a mountain greenhouse.
2008
Discovers moutain greenhouse in the Spanish national park
Monte Perdido
Selected for the exhibition 'Doing it my Way, Perspectives on Belgian Art', an Exhibition by the Stiftung für Kunst und Kultur e.V Bonn (GE) in museum MKM, Duisburg
Selected for the exhibition 'Doing it my Way, Perspectives on Belgian Art', an Exhibition by the Stiftung für Kunst und Kultur e.V Bonn (GE) in museum MKM, Duisburg
2009
Realises Picture Palace, designed for the Liedts-Meesen foundation
and its art platform Zebrastraat, Gent. 40 paintings out of private and
public collections in Europe were brought together.
Picture Palace as illustrated (hardcover)publication is realised by Lannoo editors.
Experimental film maker, Svend Thomsen, founder of Artcinema OFF/OFF, archives the exhibition and the opening (with performance of Stef Kamil Carlens, frontleader Zita Swoon and Pjeroo Roobjee, artist-friend)
Picture Palace as illustrated (hardcover)publication is realised by Lannoo editors.
Experimental film maker, Svend Thomsen, founder of Artcinema OFF/OFF, archives the exhibition and the opening (with performance of Stef Kamil Carlens, frontleader Zita Swoon and Pjeroo Roobjee, artist-friend)
2010-2012
Research of modern and contemporary architecture as a painters motif.
Can architecture function as ecological and spiritual shelter?
Starts up the project 'Watching the Architect', which results in 14 monumental paintings inspired by Mies vander Rohe, Peter Zumthor e.o.
Starts up the project 'Watching the Architect', which results in 14 monumental paintings inspired by Mies vander Rohe, Peter Zumthor e.o.