Jean-Francois Debongnie | 2014

Artist’s Proof Gallery in Georgetown is honored to announce a show of work by Belgian artist Jean-François Debongnie this April. Although Debongnie’s work is well known and loved throughout Europe and Asia, this is his first solo exhibition in the United States. Debongnie’s works have been exhibited in Belgium, Germany, France, Singapore, and Malaysia and shown in private collections and luxury buildings including the Sotheby’s Institute of Art, Singapore Airlines, and the Westin Hotels. In addition, Debongnie’s work has been featured in Vogue Living and Elle Decor.

Debongnie is a self-taught artist who works exclusively in water-based acrylic and Chinese ink. He was born in Brussels in 1968, but travelled to Asia in 1989, where he fell in love with Eastern cultural and aesthetic traditions. Since then, his paintings have explored visual representations of navigation between the West where he was born and the East he called home for over two decades. His canvases seamlessly straddle seemingly disparate elements—old and new; organic and synthetic; vibrant ochre, blue, and red against muted shades of gray and black. Debongnie’s harmonizing touch gives his works their enduring beauty, allowing him to paint traditional botanical scenes with traditional materials in a contemporary style. In this sense, Debongnie’s canvases are the beneficiaries of a rich heritage of history transplanted into the modern world where they thrive.

Artist’s Proof will host an opening reception with Jean-François Debongnie on Saturday, April 12 at our gallery in Cady’s Alley in Georgetown. Private viewing for clients will be from 2 – 4pm. The gallery will be open to the public after 3pm. All are welcome and encouraged to attend.