Hadrien du Roy at Island

Artist: Hadrien du Roy

Exhibition title: /

Venue: Island, Brussels, Belgium

Date: November 19 – December 18, 2016

Photography: All images copyright and courtesy of the artist and Island, Brussels

Surfing on the fringes of the abstract and the figurative, Hadrien du Roy’s landscapes can be perceived as a mirror for escapism, urging the viewer to seek what is hidden behind the horizon. His sculptures are inspired by ancient tribal totems, representing the link between humans and the unknown or serving as protection from the fear of the infinite.

The central piece, a totem figure standing in an obscure wallpaper landscape is composed of broken-up plaster blocks which are assembled and sculpted into distinctive forms allowing the sculpture to take its shape freely and without restrictions.

For his paintings he adopts the method of erasing certain segments while sticking with the plan of the underlying traces of paint, and recovering them by applying an almost transparent layer so as to create multiple levels and shapes that are not thoroughly controlled.

The most significant aspect of the oeuvre is the fact that he doesn’t control the entire process, which urges him to explore the unknown elements and find his own way to express and elucidate them.