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Berlinde de Bruyckere's Wax and Textile Bodies in Artpress

publication · 2026-04-24

Artpress issue 440 (January 2017) features an article on Berlinde De Bruyckere titled 'Aucune vie perdue' (pp. 53-58). Since 1999, De Bruyckere has used wax, thread, bandages, horsehair, skins, and egg-tempera pigments to represent the human body. Her practice combines modeling with sewing, tying, and binding to preserve bodily integrity, alongside painting.

Key facts

  • Article in Artpress n°440, January 2017, pp. 53-58
  • Title: 'Berlinde de Bruyckere. Aucune vie perdue'
  • Materials: wax, thread, bandages, horsehair, skins, egg-tempera pigments
  • Artist has worked with these materials since 1999
  • Two complementary gestures: modeling and sewing/tying/binding
  • Goal: to safeguard the integrity of a body

Entities

Artists

  • Berlinde De Bruyckere

Institutions

  • Artpress

Sources