Walter Swennen

Walter Swennen lives and works in Brussels. He studied engraving and psychology at the UCL (Université catholique de Louvain). Poetry, language and painting play an important role in his work. In his seemingly naive style, he points up the inadequacy of language, exposing its absurdity with mordant wit. He takes an associative approach to his work and draws inspiration from the popular culture that surrounds him, such as advertising and comics, as well as psychoanalysis and literary history. In 2021 and 2022, a major retrospective of his work was hosted at the Kunstmuseum Bonn, Gemeentemuseum Den Haag and Kunst Museum Winterthur. Other showcases include the Triennial in Milan, the Kunstverein für die Rheinlande und Westfalen in Düsseldorf and WIELS in Brussels. His work is part of several international collections, including those of the Centre National des Arts Plastiques in Paris and the FRAC in France. In 2019, Swennen was awarded the Flemish Ultima Prize, which he promptly donated to the PTB (Parti des Travailleurs Belges).