Renate Els Aerts
°Antwerpen 11/3/55
Van Arteveldestraat 40
2060 Antwerpen
tel: 03.233.55.55
gsm: 0474.29.67.03
info@renate-els-aerts.be
http://www.renate-els-aerts.be
RENATE ELS AERTS
Biography
As a child she already loved rags and patches of cloth, and at a young age she already made little houses out of textile.
While she was at school training to become a professional teacher, there was only one day of the week she really looked forward to: the day of the plastic arts class. Since this was her optional subject, she got the opportunity to deepen and broaden her views on plastic arts. The teacher was aware of her fascination for textile and stimulated her to continue in that specific direction.
Renate Els Aerts took classes on textile art in the municipal crafts school of Antwerp.
At various academies she learned how to draw and paint.
Left and right she attended various workshops that offered her the necessary private teachings and most of all the different techniques.
As head of her family and therefore main provider, she took up teaching herself. The last 8 years of she worked as a teacher at the Rudolf Steiner School where the worlds of colour and fantasy are of major importance.
After becoming chronically ill in 1992 she put an end to her teaching career. Luckily she could hold on that ray of hope: working in her studio workshop.
In 1993 she becomes fascinated by the combination of space and colour, of textile and paint. She then starts to make textile paintings in which relief (rucking, applications) and colour are complementary of eachother. In course of time the objects became more and more sober and the focus shifted noticeably towards textile. She discovers the computer and incorporates computer prints (manipulated photos and samples of text) in her textiles. The objects are now detached from the wall and sculptures and objects of light start to appear, evidentially made of different materials like silk fiber, stringed hemp, rope, etc. The work is mostly abstract, atmosphere and story take central stage.
More and more she starts to work around themes that leave substantially more to the imagination of the onlooker.
The five-year cycle, art history of the 20th century, lectured by Erwin Desmet,
has been of great importance in the development of her work.
Since 1997 she exhibits annually, which is on itself an added inspirational source.
As a gift from heaven her loom appears on the scene: it was a little present from some passerby that needed to declutter ....
This then was the start of a new passion: the art of installations!
Yards of textile are woven in a diversity of materials (from self spun and dyed wool to magnetic tape) that are used to build houses. Sometimes various little houses appear, made of collage. The inside hides a whole world connecting with specific themes and moods. Next it is of importance what happens to each house. This is what the performances with the houses are all about.
Beyond Fashion, an Antwerp studio/gallery, brings Renate Els Aerts in closer contact to the world of fashion. Because this gallery stands by worldly interest as well as the importance of content, it is possible to work out concepts.
She decides to no longer make art without content (literally and figuratively). Therefor she designs her filled bags and jewelries. These creations appear under the logo streA.
TRAINING AND SCHOOLING
1973: drawing Academy of Berchem
1979-1982: textile art Institute for Art Crafts Antwerp
1990: portrait drawing Academy Sint-Niklaas
1991: painting Academy Wilrijk
1993: through self study a combination textile/paint manifests itself.
1997: Formation of studio.
1998: Development to installation art (house building)
* She has not been able to complete her academic formation.
The majority of knowledge has been gathered through practice and experimentation, often assisted or backed by other craftsmen. The course of art history of the 20th century (5 years Amaranth), together with regular visits to exhibitions and literature about contemporary art, were and still are a huge source of inspiration!
EXHIBITIONS
* 1997: group exhibition tPirrewitje>Gallery
Group exhibition BACOB-Gallery Antwerp
* 1998: group exhibition T Pekfabriek Borgerhout>
Group exhibition Berchemse Kunstenaars C.C.B
Individual exhibition De Sterrewijzer Olen
Individual exhibition Zwarte Zaal Fakkeltheater Antwerp
* 1999: group exhibition Het Bloeiend Hart Berchem-etalagekunst
Individual exhibition IHAM Gallery Antwerp
* 2000: individual exhibition Dungelhoeff Lier
Group exhibition Klank en Beeld Sint-Pieters-Rode
* 2001: group exhibition Huis Hellemans Edegem
Individual exhibition EXIT Cogels-Osylei Berchem
* 2002: Beyond Fashion Antwerp permanent collection textile accessories - Beyond Fashion Antwerp Zuid
Individual exhibition woven SoundhouseΑ City Library Antwerp
Installation in library of Wilrijk : dream house (youth books week)
Open Nature Day Installation in t Blikveld>commission of CC
Group exhibition : Beyond Fashion : up the threads again
Group exhibition “Open Ateliers Antwerpen”
Performance in front of installation: Van Arteveldestr Antwerp
Group exhibition “wankel evenwicht” Leuven
* 2003: Installations in “mijnhappening Beringen”
Installation “opvangcentrum Linkeroever
”
*2004: Performance Firminen Hortense Antwerp
Group exhibition “artbox” Kortenberg
performance Kortenberg
2005: installations in Mano Mundo
installation “begijnhof Diest”
installations PSK Brussel
* 2006: installation Ninove
installaties Kunst op de Koekoek, Etten-Leur, Nederland
performance Nederland
Installation Geuzenhuis, Gent
Installation Den Haag, Nederland
*2007:Individual exhibition“1000peacewomen”Oostend Individual exhibition“1000 peacewomen” Brussels
performance Antwerp
Individual exhibition“1000 peacewomen” Antwerp