Berlinde De Bruyckere

 

Berlinde De Bruyckere (b. 1964 in Belgium, where she lives and works) mainly works with casts – made from wax, animal skins, hair, textiles, metal and wood – that she moulds into haunting distortions of organic forms which explore new ideas of metamorphosis. The vulnerability and fragility of the self, the suffering body – whether human or animal – and the overwhelming power of nature are some of the core motifs of De Bruyckere’s oeuvre.


Drawing from the legacies of Europe’s Old Masters, Christian iconography, mythology and cultural lore, De Bruyckere layers existing histories with new narratives suggested by current events in order to create a psychological terrain of pathos, tenderness and unease. The dualities of danger and protection, love and destruction, and the human need for understanding are some universal themes that De Bruyckere explores in her practice.