The Sea Will Not Be at Ease When We Try to Please

The mural (click on the photos for a full-size view) is located in a specific interior space, the former holiday residence of Leopold II. Due to the historical importance and the protection of the building, no fundamental changes could be made.

The protruding and concave wall, with a 3D dimensional character and a prominent heating element, presented a unique challenge that I turned into a mural installation.

I combined a painterly image, where the brushstrokes are visible and palpable, with an integrated linear design on the radiator to create a composition in relation to the architectural character of the space. The small part of the circle on the wall protruding from the left is completed by the brownish section on the radiator, with the mural in between.

Working on such a large scale was physically demanding and required considerable stamina. I often found myself stepping down from the scaffolding, rolling it sideways to gain some distance, all the while looking up to remember where to focus and precisely adjust the brushstrokes, as there was no overview from the front of the wall.

As a starting point I chose one of my small watercolours, which meant adjusting the composition, breaking it up and translating the brushstrokes to larger surfaces. This way of working is an inherent part of my artistic process, it involves a huge element of unpredictability. Surprisingly, despite the scale, the detail remained visibly intact. I worked with precision, preserving nuances, just as I do when I paint in my studio. At the very last, I decided to introduce a false perspective in the upper left corner of the wall to add depth to the overall composition.

This mural shares a similar essence with all my paintings, possessing a remarkable quality of vastness that extends into unseen depths; taking us into worlds of what we don’t (yet) know.

Or as Rolf Quaghebeur puts it: 

“Claeyé deliberately designed the mural to be elusive and undefined, yet monumental and unmistakably present, much like the sea itself. The images can continue to grow, expand, transform and expand in the viewer’s imagination.”

With thanks to Rolf Quaghebeur, KAAP Cultural Centre and Painting and Decorations Soens

Including photos by Dirk Pauwels: 1, 2, 3, 4, 7 and 8