Sophie Kuijken's Portraits Echo Van Eyck at Saint-Bavon

The exhibition 'Le Retour de l'Agneau' at Saint-Bavon Cathedral in Ghent, reopening June 8, 2020, runs until September 30, 2020. It coincides with the return of the restored 'Adoration of the Mystic Lamb' (1432) by the Van Eyck brothers. The show features contemporary works, including a series of portraits by Flemish artist Sophie Kuijken (born 1965 in Bruges, trained at the Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent). Her paintings, created between 2015 and 2019, are displayed on the cathedral's massive columns and under vaults, forcing viewers to look up. The portraits depict anonymous figures in theatrical poses, often with musical instruments, rendered in meticulous oil and acrylic on wood panels. Kuijken uses digital research to gather faces and bodies, then combines physiognomic traits on board, layering paint to achieve a velvety brilliance reminiscent of Renaissance Flemish portraiture. Despite their realistic illusion, the portraits are fictional inventions. The exhibition is in partnership with Galerie Nathalie Obadia (Paris/Brussels).