Une esthétique de l'espace
Jean-Pierre Van Tieghem
Photographs by Christian Carez
In a sculpture, do not forget the sky, the sun, the space, the wind, without which it dies. Jean-Pierre Ghysels
This monograph, dedicated to the Belgian sculptor Jean-Pierre Ghysels (b. 1932, Brussels – d. 2024, Brussels), presents a striking selection of works spanning from the artist’s last figurative piece (1965) to his more mature abstract sculptures. Jean-Pierre Ghysels graduated from the Maredsous Art School in 1953 and went to Paris on a French government grant, where he studied under Ossip Zadkine at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière. After receiving the Godecharle Award for sculpture in 1958, Ghysels travelled for two years throughout the Middle East and various countries in Asia. The philosophy of these cultures deeply inspired and informed his work, which is characterised by a sense of balance and sensuality.
The works of Jean-Pierre Ghysels – small sculptures or monumental pieces – are held in numerous private and public collections in Belgium and around the world.
Christian Carez Born in Brussels in 1938, he lives and works in Beersel (Belgium). He graduated in 1960 from the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Visuels – ENSAV – at La Cambre, where he became Head of the photography department from 1981 to 2002. His career includes many works of personal writing and photography as well as solo and group exhibitions. His works can be found in many private collections in Europe and the United States, in various photographic museums, plus at the Houston Museum of Fine Arts (Texas), the Fonds National d’Art Contemporain in Paris, and the Fuji Art Museum in Tokyo.
Jean-Pierre Van Tieghem Born in Wilrijk (Belgium) in 1938, he died in 2015. A member of the International Association of Art Critics and Honorary President of the Belgian Association of Art Critics, he wrote for various publications, including the Journal des Beaux-arts, Le Monde, Art Press, Artforum, and Beaux-arts Magazine. He was professor at the école Nationale Supérieure des Arts Visuels – ENSAV – at La Cambre, and participated in multidisciplinary cultural radio broadcasts. He became Head Producer at RTB (Radio-Télévision Belge). He was a member of numerous associations, foundations and museums in Europe and the United States, as well as an exhibition curator, for example, at Espaces Romanesques in Brussels and Marseille.
