The exhibition commemorates Rik Wouters, who died 100 years ago, with an overview of his main work combined with contemporary pieces by various artists and Belgian fashion designers. We see how they use colours, designs, pure materials and artisan techniques just like the painter did. Amongst others, we saw work by Dries Van Noten, Veronique Branquinho and Martin Margiela, who each in their own individual way expressed the creative ideas of Rik Wouters in their collections.
Being mostly housebound due to his wife's poor health, Rik Wouters’ work is characterized by domestic scenes. They are full of life though, because they are set in a very colourful world. Rik Wouters is known as one of the artists in the Fauvism style. Walking through this exhibition you are surrounded by vibrant and expressive pieces of art with flashes of strong red and yellow but at the same time also the calmness and natural sense of a quiet life close to nature. In the 2001 fashion collection by Dries Van Noten there is a floral ode to Wouters’ colourful pencil brushes and Dirk Van Saene used tea towels and table cloths in fashion, a link to the domestic theme. The exhibition starts with a series of photos of the rooms where the designers work now, often a place of calm to escape the hectic fashion industry and again a reflection of Wouters’ search for a quiet life.
Textile designers constantly look for inspiration in the art world. Here are two FR-One moodboards capturing our approach and bringing an inspiring touch of fauvism to your interior scheme.
You can see the exhibition ‘Rik Wouters & The Domestic Utopia’ until 26 February 2017 at the ModeMuseum Antwerpen.
