For his first solo exhibition at Buysse Gallery in Knokke, Nils Verkaeren (BE, °1980) found inspiration in the Zwin, a landscape in constant motion. As a contemporary plein air painter, he does not work in the studio but seeks direct engagement with nature. He has previously painted in extreme conditions, in remote locations where painting seemed nearly impossible—an experience that has profoundly shaped his practice. In this new series, Tidal Flux, the dynamics of ebb and flow, the transition of biotopes, and the unpredictable interplay between light and landscape take center stage. Moving between painting and reality, he seeks a dialogue with his surroundings—to merge with the landscape without losing his own vision.
His fascination with changing landscapes began in 2016, when he painted in the Verdronken Land van Saeftinghe and along the Côte d’Opale—two places where tides exert immense influence. In Saeftinghe, a primal landscape in Zeeland, the tides move freely; without dikes to hold back the incoming and retreating water, the terrain is in a constant state of flux. Along the Côte d’Opale, the tidal shifts are so strong that the distance between high and low tide is vast. For Verkaeren, who had just graduated at the time, these locations were his first exploration of how a changing landscape could influence his painting practice. He was then still deeply rooted in the tradition of classical landscape painters such as John Constable and J.M.W. Turner, but gradually, his focus shifted.
As he increasingly worked in outdoor environments, the landscape ceased to be the central subject and instead became an alibi for painting. The influence of the classical masters gradually gave way to a deeper interest in the materiality of painting itself. He found inspiration in artists who prioritized physical paint and color interaction, such as Josef Albers and Johannes Itten with their color theories, but also in painters like Frank Auerbach, John Ruskin, James Abbott McNeill Whistler, Pierre Soulages, and Per Kirkeby.
Now, nine years later, after painting Tidal Flux in the Zwin, Verkaeren’s love for painting has only grown stronger. He no longer considers himself a landscape painter in the classical sense but a fully committed ‘plein airist’ who embraces and confronts all natural conditions to explore how they can contribute to his painting process.
— Curated by Eva Wuytjens
