°1959, Leuven, BE. Lives and works in Zandhoven, Belgium.
The artworld has always been rather suspicious of any form that is purely visual, a form where beauty or emotion prevails. A form that is often referred to as ‘design’ or ‘decoration’. Yet, it is precisely this twilight zone that interests Van Saene. As an artist, his work has no functionality: it still shows the human body, not in a direct context but rather as the notions of a human figure. At the same time, the emotions they depict are equally as important. His sculptures are the stage-managers of their own story. Not only with regard to their material, colors and shapes, but also in the historic value that they carry and that he assigns to them.
Dirk Van Saene is represented by Gallery Sofie Van de Velde.
Solo exhibitions
"An angel, kissing spring", Gallery Sofie Van de Velde, Antwerp, Belgium
"Stories of hope and despair", Gallery Sofie Van de Velde, Antwerp, Belgium
"Ceramics", Song Song Gallery, Vienna, Austria
"Dirk Van Saene for Studio Delvaux", Showroom Delvaux, Brussels, Belgium
"Ceramics", Song, Song Gallery, Vienna, Austria
Residences
"Artist in residence", "Workshop in residence", San Francisco, USA
Dirk Van Saene Wonderboy - Adonis, god of beauty and youth -, 2023 Stoneware, wood, silver, copper, semi precious stones 154 x 50 x 91 cm
Dirk Van Saene An angel, kissing spring, 2022 Stoneware, wood 105 x 44 x 32 cm
Dirk Van Saene Centerfold, 2022 Stoneware, wood 188 x 51 x 36 cm
Dirk Van Saene I'm mad about cats. Aren't you mad about them? I guess I've always been mad about cats, 2022 Stoneware, aluminum bottle, wood 114 x 60 x 40 cm
Dirk Van Saene Eternal life and good fortune, 2022 Stoneware, wood, tweed, brush 200 x 55 x 40 cm
Dirk Van Saene "Future legend...", 2021 Acrylic on paper 150 x 135 cm
Dirk Van Saene "Love will tear us apart, again...", 2021 Acrylic on paper 150 x 118 cm
Dirk Van Saene "You ought to be in pictures... oh what a hit you would be...", 2021 Acrylic on paper 150 x 120 cm
Dirk Van Saene "Stories of hope and despair...", 2020 Stoneware, wool, wood, horn 40 x 60 x 110 cm
Dirk Van Saene "Hit me baby, one more time...", 2020 Stoneware, wool, cotton, horn 65 x 110 x 110 cm
Dirk Van Saene "Don't wanna be your friend... I wanna kiss you...", 2020 Stoneware, tweed, cotton, silk, horn, wood, mother of pearl 50 x 130 x 147 cm
Dirk Van Saene "I feel perfectly terrible...", 2020 Stoneware, tweed, cotton, silk, horn, wood 55 x 45 x 138 cm
Dirk Van Saene "Minotaurus..." (P.P.), 2020 Stoneware 36 x 28 x 158 cm
Dirk Van Saene "Top of the world..." (R.S.), 2020 Stoneware 15 x 17 x 44 cm