Ruth paints with oil paint, a classical medium that she uses in her own intuitive way. Freedom within her medium, subject and artistry are of great importance to her. Her paintings are in the area between abstraction and figuration, sometimes leaning to one side, sometimes the other.
Painting is conceived as an adventure with no predetermined outcome.
The work is bathed in a dreamy, quiet atmosphere, sometimes funny, often mysterious.
Ruth has always drawn a lot. Diary notes, quick sketches of shapes and colours, sometimes merely marks. These sketches may become a starting point for a painting. However, during the process – which is slow, as she work with oil paint – the image often transforms into something different. The act of painting leads to new shapes and colours. A work of Ruth is never conceived but rather grows organically, just like a fruit or a flower builds up until it’s ready to pick. Each step she takes is an intuitive one. To her, each image – abstract or not – is a creature with a soul, a personality.
Someone said: ‘It is not difficult to make friends with the work of Ruth van Haren Noman’
Born 1975, Neerpelt, Belgium
Lives and works in Ghent
Studied painting at Sint Lucas Gent, (now Luca School of Arts), graduated as master in 1998
1998-2001
Laureate of the Higher Institute of Fine Arts Antwerp (HISK)
2002-2003
Artist in Residence with a stipend from the Wilhelm Lehmbruck Museum Duisburg, D
Was associated with several galleries in Belgium between 2002-2015, now works as an independent artist. Exhibited among others in Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and in Belgium. Her work is in several private collections in Belgium and in the collection of the SMAK Ghent.
Present: Exhibits on a regular basis. (see list exhibitions) but otherwise prefers to keep to the sidelines of the art world.
Also works part-time as studio supervisor in a social-artistic visual studio; De FactorY Leuven.
2025
‘Couleurs tendances’, TaLe Art Gallery, Vlierzele, BE
the bear and the butterfly, booklaunch + expo, Wilder, Antwerpen, BE
2024
the bear and the butterfly, booklaunch + expo, Galerie19, Gent, BE
duizelige groetjes, met Jonas Vanderbeke, Galerie19, Gent, BE
2023
je ne sais quoi, Wilder, Antwerpen, BE
2022
Au bord des images, met Ines Claus en Jan Vandeplancke, AHWN Gallery, Oostende, BE
2021
‘bo-he-mi’, solo, gallery Zwart Huis Brussels, BE
2019
‘en route, retrograde’ curated by Marina Coelho, solo + booklaunch, frontspace Bruthaus Gallery,Waregem, (BE)
‘quivive’, Eva Steynen Deviation(s), Antwerpen, BE
2018
‘l’esprit de l’escalier’, duo met Stef de Brabander, d’Apostrof, Meigem, BE
2017
‘schilder mij’, duo met Roeland Zijlstra, BLANCO, Gent, BE
2015
‘Yonder’, Wide screen Gallery, Gent, BE
‘Kabinetten Felix De Boeck’, duo met Stéphanie Leblon, Felixart Museum, Drogenbos, BE
2014
‘Morozko’, Base-Alpha Gallery, Antwerpen, BE
2013
‘Spatio Tempo ( the other life of forms)’ duo met Wieki Somers, Middlemarch, Brussel, BE
2012
‘Paintings’, Base-Alpha Gallery, Antwerpen, BE
2011
‘tsi tsi rikiki’, CIAP Actuele Kunst, Hasselt, BE
2010
‘The coconut thieves’, Maes & Matthys Gallery, Antwerpen, BE
2008
‘Paintings’, Maes & Matthys Gallery, Antwerpen, BE
2007
‘Fleur et forme’, Galerie In Between, Antwerpen, BE
2006
‘roze en groen’, duo met Renate Spee, de Branderij, Antwerpen, BE
2005
‘21 nieuwe schilderijen’, Kroonstraat 56, Antwerpen, BE
2004
‘Cocktailtrio’, duo met Roeland Zijlstra, Galerie Martin Van Blerk, Antwerpen, BE
2000
‘Miss Crusoe 2000’, met Liliane Vertessen en Monsieur Delmotte, Z 33 Hasselt, BE
2001
‘New Wave’, duo met Eric Campman, Galerie ROOM, Rotterdam, NL
1999
‘The horseheaded Lady’, duo met Merlin Spie, Galerie Van Dieten-d’Eendt, Amsterdam, NL
2022
This was last summer, AHWN Gallery, Oostende, BE
ExpoOOST, Studio Wilma Vissers, Groningen, NL
2021/22
‘the A5 series’, Drawing Box International, reizende tentoonstelling door Europa.
2019
‘Tragoudia’, vredegerecht Oostende, BE
2018
‘elftal’, Abdij van Assebroek, Brugge, BE
2017
‘open systems’, M146, Antwerpen, BE
‘Salon d’hiver’, galerie Zerp, Rotterdam, NL
2016
‘Little Hisk’,voormalig Militair Hospitaal, Antwerpen, BE
‘ten dans’, CC Maasmechelen, BE
2015
‘Summertime…and the living is easy’, Geukens en Devil Gallery, Knokke, BE
‘Before the food fight’, de Chocoladefabriek, Tongeren, BE
‘A retro-prospective’, Middlemarch, Brussel, BE
2014
‘Elevator Pitch’, Base-Alpha Gallery, Antwerpen, BE
‘Out of the Ordinary’ Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam, NL
2013
‘Let’s talk (again) about painting’ Centre d’art de Guyancourt, Parijs, FR
‘Art Brussels 2013’, stand Base-Alpha Gallery, Brussel, BE
2012
‘Stijlfiguren’, Secondroom, Antwerpen, BE
‘Tiny abstracts of today’, Galerie Martin van Blerk, Antwerpen
2011
‘Art Brussels 2011’ stand Maes & Matthys Gallery, Brussel, BE
2010
‘Art Brussels 2010’ stand Maes & Matthys Gallery, Brussel, BE
‘8*1 The Sum Of All Things Leads Us To This Place’, CC De Steiger Menen, BE
‘Changez! Een Belgenshow’, 21Rozendaal, Enschede, NL
‘Gaverprijs 2010’, CC De Schakel, Waregem, BE
‘XM Projectspace’, Rijksacademie Amsterdam, NL
‘A Small Show’, Maes & Matthys Gallery , Antwerpen, B
2009
‘Art Brussels 2009’, stand Maes & Matthys Gallery, Brussel, BE
‘Groupshow’, Maes & Matthys Gallery, Antwerpen,BE
2008
‘Gery Christmas Show’, Maes & Matthys Gallery, Antwerpen, BE
2006
‘Tekeningen uit de collectie’, selectie Philippe Van Cauteren, SMAK, Gent, BE
2005
‘Hommage aan Jethro Volders’, CIAP, Hasselt, BE
2004
‘Kunst macht dick’, Factor 44, Antwerpen, BE
2003
‘Ausstellung der 3 Stipendiaten’, Wilhelm Lehmbruck Museum, Duisburg, D
‘Interessengemeinschaft Duisburger Kunstler’, Wilhelm Lehmbruck Museum, Duisburg, D
‘ROOM- the shop’, Galerie ROOM, Rotterdam, NL
2002
‘Cotéjardin’, CC Leopoldsburg, BE
2001
‘The Silver Road’ eindshow + artshop, HISK, Antwerpen, BE
2000
‘Young Artists selected by Jan Hoet’, Witte Zaal, Gent, BE
1999
‘Folle’, Studio Ercolani, Bologna, IT
1998
‘Coming People’, Vereniging van het Museum, Gent, BE
‘Synesthetics/Synesthesia’, Lokaal 01, Breda, NL
