Sammy Slabbinck's Surreality Check: A Belgian Collage Artist Revives Surrealism

Belgian artist Sammy Slabbinck (Bruges, 1977) continues the surrealist tradition of René Magritte and Paul Delvaux through his collage works, which blend vintage imagery with pop culture. His compositions, often digital prints or works on paper, assemble cut-out images from magazines like Playboy and Paris Match, as well as art history and photography, to create retro-futuristic illustrations that critique consumer culture with wit and irony. Slabbinck has collaborated with brands such as Nescafé, Peugeot, Disney, and Gucci, and created the artwork for Leonard Cohen's final album You Want It Darker. His first monograph, Surreality Check, published by Lannoo Publishers, features a preface by Adam Cohen, Leonard Cohen's son. The book collects images exploring themes of sexuality, nature, and survival in contemporary society, maintaining a self-deprecating tone.