04 august 2023, Flor Linckens
Understated simplicity in the work of Willy De Sauter
On Tuesday 8 August, after a short summer break, a solo exhibition by Willy De Sauter will reopen in the South space of Gallery Sofie Van de Velde. The serene and sober works of the Belgian artist are an invitation for contemplation and function as a haven in our hectic lives.
De Sauter has been active since the 1960s and has since built up an oeuvre in which a fundamental and minimalist visual language is central. In his work, he tries to approach a certain essence. Behind the subdued simplicity of his works lie complex ideas and even subtle social criticism, for example about the large amount of images aimed at mass consumption that we are confronted with every day. He hopes to make us reflect on our visual culture and at the same time stimulate us to perceive more subtle visual stimuli. The space in which his works are presented is also significant: he tries to free it from any visual noise.
Willy De Sauter, Untitled, 2023, Gallery Sofie Van de Velde
Over the years, his style has evolved from more repetitive lines in the 1970s to an exploration of new materials such as copper, gold, pigments and chalk, often referencing Western art history. For example, the Flemish Primitives already used a mixture of chalk and glue as the basis for their works in the 15th and 16th centuries. De Sauter is also inspired by architecture. From the noughties, the artist mainly makes monochrome chalk works, for which he plays with light and variations of matt and gloss. Moreover, there is an intensive and artisanal process behind these works: he constructs each panel himself with layers of chalk, pigment and animal glue and polishes the surface with a putty knife until it shines.
De Sauter studied graphic design at Sint-Lucas in Ghent. He has won several prizes and his work has been collected by institutions such as the M HKA, Museum Voorlinden, Museum Dhondt Dhaenens, S.M.A.K., the Flemish Community, the National Bank of Brussels and the Groeninge Museum.
