Harmony in color, the still lifes of Wim Baes
Harmony in color, the still lifes of Wim Baes
Wim Baes, born in 1977 in Knokke-Heist and currently working in Ghent, has dedicated his life to a stunning symbiosis of flowers, plants, pots and paintings. His early years were spent among the flowers of his grandfather’s store, and his teenage years were colored by the plants his father grew as a florist. The artistic vein flows through his family history, where both his grandfather and father painted in their spare time, with his grandfather even exhibiting his canvases among the flowers in his store. So it is no surprise that Wim, surrounded by flowers, vases and colors from a young age, embraced his calling to painting, albeit only later in life.
In recent years, Wim Baes has devoted himself entirely to painting, clearly influenced by the flora, objects and colors that visually shaped him. His works reveal a deep love for lyrical abstractions and an admiration for masters such as Matisse and Cézanne. Bottles, jars and jugs, more or less abstracted, form the basis of his still lifes. On the canvas, he rearranges these objects into compositions that are both a play of forms and an investigation of color.
Through his daily still lifes, Wim Baes pays tribute not only to his father, who arranged beautiful flowers and plants every day, but also to the creation of beauty from form, color and composition. His art invites the viewer to see the world as he does: a continuous search for harmony amid the multitude of shapes and colors that surround us.
Yves Joris, Art Critic
Born and raised in Knokke-Heist 1977, Wim Baes lived above his grandfather’s flower store as a child. He made daily explorations through the store and in the flower workshop. The flower store was full of the most colorful creations and on the walls hung paintings of the grandfather, thus breathing the atmosphere of the French salons. Thus, a passion for flowers, vases and especially colors was born at a very young age.
In his teens, Wim won several competitions such as the ‘Talens Zoute Concours’ which got him an exhibition in a gallery in Knokke at the age of 16. Wim went through his school career in Art Education, where he did different directions, ranging from liberal arts, applied arts, ceramics, stand construction…
In higher education, he attended school at Sint-Lucas where he studied glass art. This was a conscious choice, as he knew it would further strengthen his love of color. After running a garden business on the coast and a gallery in Ghent, in early 2020 the time was ripe to get back to creating himself. If we look back at 2023, we see a productive year with 3 solos and a group exhibition. Also in 2024, 4 group exhibitions and a solo are planned. He is also looking forward to his first book that will soon go into print.
As Wim struggled through a difficult year last year, he still found it difficult to paint. The ‘balance’ in life had become unbalanced. So he drew this into his work. ‘Fuck Balance’ was a less romantic view of life and his love of beauty. Nothing had to be done, but it was in this that the beauty lay, everything could be reinvented. Then came the (visual) search for the ‘focus’, with a series of graffiti works, which as ‘misty’ images symbolized the search for focus in life.
Currently Wim is working hard on a series where he wants to bring color back in. Our society is too dark and harsh. Hence, the color pink suddenly came to the fore, a color the artist believes symbolizes softness and love. ‘More Pink!!!’
Secondary: liberal arts, applied arts, ceramics – Maricolen, Brugge
Additional 7th year: decor and stand construction – Maricolen, Brugge
Higher education: 3D design option glass art – Sint-Lucas, Gent
