Martijn’s work is characterized by the questioning, the dual, the search for the inner identity of his painted figures. A visual artist who finds in painting finds both discharge and addiction. In this duality lies both the métier and the fear of not being able to achieve the set objective. The figures are at first sight attractive, but on deeper examination often acquire a different (fraught) character with them with them.
Jan Maes
Mysterious references… to stories that leave one guessing, surround these images like an emotionally charged aura. Yet it is a delineated world he shows us, a microclimate in which his characters evolve. I cannot rid myself of the impression that Martijn is playing a game play, directing his characters like a dramatist, assigning them a place in his picture, which is is as perfectly balanced as a theater set. He develops an aesthetic that constantly balances between life, eroticism and beauty. The artist surrounds his characters with an insidious silence. He experiments with the quality of light through chiaroscuro and hues, but at the same time he is so apt in his imagery. With his subcutaneous sensuality, Hervé Martijn becomes a convinced advocate of contemporary “narrative” painting.
Johan Vancauwenberghe
Hervé Martijn lives and works in Avelgem. He studied painting and monumental arts at the Academy in Ghent. In 2014 he obtained an additional master’s degree in liberal visual arts. He is a teacher of painting and titular project studio at the academy in Kortrijk. Since 1990, he has exhibited in various galleries, art festivals and art fairs in Belgium, the Netherlands and France.
1983: Diploma van het Hoger Kunstonderwijs Monumentale kunsten – School of Arts KASK Gent
1990: Kunstgeschiedenis + GPB – Centrale examencommissie
1994: Diploma van het Hoger Kunstonderwijs Schilderkunst – School of Arts KASK Gent
2014: Master of Arts in de Vrije beeldende kunsten – Hogeschool Gent
2022
DE DENKFOUT – Galerie Art-Singel 100, Amsterdam (NL)
2021
STILTE KAN PIJN DOEN – Galerie S&H De Buck, Gent
PERSONAE – Galerie Lloyd, Oostende
2020 / 2019
LATUVU, artist in residenc – Languedoc-Roussillon Bages (FR)
BOEKVOORSTELLING The viewmaster – Galerie Dessers, Hasselt
2018
RÊVES TISSéS – Galerie Raison d’art, Lille (FR)
2017
KWETSBARE PORTRETTEN II – Galerie Art-Singel 100, Amsterdam (NL)
2016
SANS PINCEAUX JE N’EXISTE PAS – Galerie S&H De Buck, Gent
2015
BOEKPRESENTATIE OUNCE – Uitgeverij MER, Avelgem
OUNCE naar het gelijknamige boek OUNCE – Galerie Dessers, Leuven
2014
ZELFREFLECTIE – Galerie Paul Wilms, Venlo (NL)
2013
BIRDS BORN IN A CAGE – Galerie Dessers, Leuven
2012
PRESENTATION – Galerie Rasson Art, Tournai
2011
KWETSBARE PORTRETTEN – Galerie ART SINGEL 100, Amsterdam (NL)
MUTATIS MUTANDIS – Galerie Dessers, Leuven
PRESENTATION H.M. – Galerie Claudine Legrand, Parijs (FR)
2010
OEUVRES RECENTES – Galerie Raison d’Art, Lille (FR)
INTIMISTISCHE PORTRETTEN – Galerie Ludwig Lefevere, Knokke
2009
EMOTIONEEL EVENWICHT – Galerie Art-Singel 100, Amsterdam (NL)
2008
MARTIJN – Galerie Anderwereld, Groningen (NL)
PICTURAL NARCISM – Galerie Claudine Legrand, Parijs (FR)
2007
EGO EN ALTEREGO – Galerie Ludwig Lefevere, Knokke
2006
MARTIJN SOLO – Galerie Post+Garcia, Maastricht (NL)
2005
THE GIFT – Galerie De Verbeelding, Baarle-Nassau (NL)
2004
HET TWEELUIK – Galerie de Greef & de Greef, Wassenaar (NL)
TWINS – Galerie De Verbeelding, Baarle-Nassau (NL)
2022
Alles over blauw – Galerie Dessers, Hasselt
2021
Stadsfestival Damme BEESTIG – Stichting Ijsberg, Damme
2020
AMUSE – Galerie WILMS, Venlo (NL)
DE BLIK – Galerie Marc Morbee, Knokke
Le parole, le immagini del desiderio – Galerie S&H De Buck, Gent
2019
De geschiedenis gaat vooruit – Faculty Club, Leuven
Foire méditerranéenne des arts contemporains KUNST – Montpellier (FR)
2018
Wie is er bang voor de boze wolf? – Stadhuis, Genk
Over het verlangen en de troost – Kunstenfestival, Watou
Kunstenfestival OMTRENT BREL – Zandvoorde
2017
Collectie Swagemakers – Centraal Museum, Utrecht (NL)
FOCUS BELGIUM (Daan Rau) – Venlo (NL)
2016
12 schilderijen – B. Lipsiusruimte, Faculty Club, Leuven
ART THE HAGUE – Den Haag (NL)
2015
ARTURE (Curator Sven Vanderstichelen) – Ressegem
PAN – Amsterdam (NL)
Schone kunsten – Cacaofabriek, Helmond (NL)
2014
Realisme Artfair – Amsterdam (NL)
Over klein geluk en overvloed – Kunstenfestival Watou
2013
ART AT THE WAREHOUSE – Rotterdam (NL)
KunstRAI – Amsterdam (NL)
ART THE HAGUE – Den Haag (NL)
2012
De ziel van een boom – Galerie Dessers, Leuven
B-ART – Gent
Kunstbeurs REALISME – Amsterdam (NL)
2011
Poêmes a voir – Galerie Dessers, Hasselt
2010
RAI – Amsterdam (NL)
2009
OPEN ARTFAIR – Utrecht (NL)
2008
TWEE VLAGGEN één code – Hannemamuseum, Harlingen (NL)
2007
Art-Madrid Artfair (ES)
2006
ARTFAIR – Innsbruck (DE)
Anderwereld/Katuin – Groningen (NL)
2005
Kunstgalerie Ludwig Lefevere, Knokke-Zoute
2004
Holland Artfair – Den Haag (NL)
ARTFAIR LAREN – Laren (NL)
ST-ART-foire – Straatsburg (FR)
2003
HOLLAND ARTFAIR – Den Haag (NL)
ST-ART-foire – Straatsburg (FR)
2002
RAI ARTFAIR – Amsterdam (NL)
2001
Galerie Grusenmeyer, Sint-Martens-Latem
RAI ARTFAIR – Amsterdam (NL)
2000
Tableau de la Troupe – Galerie de Greef & de Greef, Wassenaar (NL)
