Artist CV - ErwinDeBie

It was a long and winding road

from then to now

but time flew by

Erwin De Bie was born on 18 Februari 1951 in Ghent, Belgium.

His father, Leon De Bie (1911-1983) was a foreman in his elder brother’s Ghent construction company Elboma . His mother, Ghislaine Heye (1926-2007) ran a hairdressing salon. The family lived in Wondelgem, in the fifties still a rural area even though only 4 miles from central Ghent and quite close to the old Ghent harbour.

Erwin grew up in the company of a neighbor son who was 6 years older and whom he hero-worshipped. This boy came from an artistic lower middle class family and they awoke Erwin’s interest in drawing, painting and fifties rock and roll music. Other influences came from his father - support for his creativity and the music from de forties and fifties - and the neighbour’s grandfather - classical music. Not an ideal artistic mix but a good start never-the-less.

In mother's arms, 1952

Walking hand in hand with father, 1957

With grandfather and godmother, 1955

With the neighbor boy, 1954

At 6 years old he was already busy with pencils, paint and paintbrushes. He recalls: “I still remember my first 2 drawings, after a multitude of stick figures, a drawing of a burning house and one of the Atomium, still under construction in that time.” Later his first influences came from Rembrandt, El Greco (in his own words, the pré-expressionist) and the Belgian cartoonist-painter Marc Sleen, who was a real hero to him. In his parents’ house reproductions of the successful Flemish artist Herman Verbaere decorated the walls and were diligently copied. At the age of 8 full of passion he started also to copy the caricatures of famous cycling champions by Marc Sleen which were published in the daily special ‘Tour de France’ edition of the ‘Het Volk’ journal.

Child's drawing, age 3

age 5

age 6

age 8

age 9

age 10

As a 12 year old, while visiting maternal family in the province of West Flanders, he was confronted by a house full of Constant Permeke paintings. It turned out that the uncle was tailor to the painter. Due to Permeke’s penurious circumstances he paid for his clothes with works of art. A well known story used in the 1985 movie ‘Permeke’ by Patrick Conrad. Permeke’s dark and gloomy colours, twisted bodies and the out of proportion big hands were confusing for the young boy but made a great impression on him, these were seared into his mind and led him to discover Gustave Van de Woestyne, Hubert Malfait, Léon Spilliaert, Fritz Van Den Berghe, Pablo Picasso and Nicolas De Staël, all of whom would influence and inspire him later on.

age 10

Constant Permeke 1886 – 1952

El Greco 1541 – 1614

Rembrandt van Rijn 1606/07 – 1669

Pablo Picasso 1881 – 1973

Hubert Malfait 1898 – 1971

Leon Spilliaert 1881 – 1946

Gustave Van de Woestyne 1881 – 1947

Fritz Van Den Berghe 1883 – 1939

Nicolas De Staël 1914 – 1955

For family and friends there was no doubt that this small, creative boy would become an artist, but he himself had doubts. Was it even possible for somebody from a non-artistic background and with no proper connections? His parents were supportive and allowed him to follow art at school when he was 13 years old. But like most of his friends he chose for a technical education to become a technical draftsmen. This turned out to be a bad choice indeed, artists are rarely successful as technical draftsmen.

The turning point which gave him the self-confidence he needed came when he was 18. He wrote to Marc Sleen enclosing some drawings. Sleen answered him: “Like so many talented and creative young artists you struggle with questions and misunderstood feelings. Talent is on your side, there’s no doubt. And with perseverance and love for art one can move mountains.”

After leaving secondary school at 19 he went to work in his Godfather’s (his father’s brother) company as a fitter-welder. In 1970-1971 he completed his military service in Siegen-Germany and in 1972 he married Rita Baes. The couple lived in a 17th century farm in Wondelgem. For a year he worked in the port of Ghent and after some mind-numbing, spirit-killing jobs he started selling rock-pop posters and cartoon character gadgets, at the same time following a course of graphic design and cartoon drawing.

The shepher's house in Wondelgem, 1978

Academic work

Female figure

Landscape

In 1974 a first modest exhibition took place in Oudenaarde-Mater (De Zwadderkotmolen) where he met the older (63) Ghent expressionist painter Roger De Crits. A bond developed between the 2 artists and at De Crits request (who was once a pupil of Jos Verdegem) Erwin became his private pupil. The old master taught him all the technical tricks of the trade and they had numerous long conversations. These talks unlocked Erwin’s mind and in a short time he blossomed and found his own style and content. The teacher-student relationship grew into a close friendship between De Crits and De Bie.

Roger De Crits 1913 – 2002

'Lunch break' painting Roger De Crits

Photo by Rita Baes 2013

In 1976 Erwin held his first one-man exhibition with a collection of new paintings in Mariakerke-Ghent (Gallery Marca) It was a success. Suddenly there was an audience, satisfactory sales and rave reviews in several Belgian newspapers. In ‘Het Volk’ art critic Rik Clement wrote; “A young artist with lots of technical know how who also has something to say. Please let him do his thing, but unfortunately… knowing the way the world work” And whether the critics were ready… In ‘De Vooruit’ art critic Jos Murez put it that way: “Two things stand out in his art: diversity and technical elaboration. Mystery and magic dexermine his fantasy world. He shows us snapshots, character traits and the oppression of the desolate.” Verily no superficial opinions about this new young artist.

In the following years between 1976 to 1980 further exhibitions took place in Damme (De Kloef), Blankenberge (Gallery De Benne), Baaigem (Die Garve), Ertvelde (De Veldbloem), Ghent (Jan Van Eyck gallery VTB), Wondelgem (City Hall), Evergem, Lokeren en De Haan.

Meanwhile Rita and Erwin, together with their two dogs, made long mountain trips on a regular basis in the Pyrenees and sometimes the Alps. Long harsh trips in a tent lasting for weeks or even months alternating by long adventurous journeys through France, Spain, Austria, Yugoslavia and Portugal.

In 1977 painting was set aside on a lower level as Erwin, partly out of interest for the comic strip world and partly out of financial necessity, began a career as a comic book and cartoonist artist. It started with a stop-comic named ‘Cornelus and Korneel’ in journal ‘Het Volk’ and was continued in the ‘Tour de France Edition’ of the same newspaper. The same year the small new publisher ‘Van Hyfte’ brought out the comic book ‘Vos en Donder’ (Fox and Thunder) however not with the expected success due to a lack of promotional budget.

The real start as a cartoonist came with 2 sequel comics, ‘Brouwer’ and ‘De Grommelsnoezen’ alternating in ‘Het Volk’ from 1979 to 1983 with respectively 6 and 4 long stories. Erwin also drew ‘Miel de Cinefiel’ (Emil the Cinephile) for the ‘Cinescoop’ magazine of the Kinepolis Cinema Group. He also started up ‘Phantasy Factory’, a design office for applied and commercial graphics. Hundreds of greeting cards and shop window decorations were designed for the European market.. So professionally things were hectic.

Vos en Donder

Brouwer

Miel de Cinefiel

De Grommelsnoezen

Then in 1983 his father died at the age of 72 after a long illness. Erwin took it hard. In search of peace and rest and to find a way to say his goodbyes to his father Erwin, together with one of his dogs, undertook a 7 day trip in a tent through the snowy Walloon Ardennes at temperatures far below freezing.

In the same year during the bitter winter he and a friend climbed the 10.315 feet high Pic du Taillon in the Pyrenees.

In 1985 he started with the comic strip ‘Noach’ for the kids magazine ‘Robbedoes/Spirou and with ‘De Gentanen’ for the notorious Ghent cult-magazine ‘Metro’. For the new weekly magazine ‘Dag Allemaal’ (Hello Everyone) he drew ‘The Goebies’, which was linked to a children’s Goebies-clothing line. Meanwhile the waning success of the Dutch version of Spirou-‘Robbedoes’ led to the end of cooperation with many young cartoonists including Erwin. The magazine which was started in 1935 ceased to exist in 2005. For the newspaper ‘De Gentenaar’ cartoonists Buth, Gipi and Erwin produced a comic book based on a scenario by Romain De Coninck and Freek Neirynck about the life of the Ghent popular figure ‘De Roste Wasser’ (The Red-headed Laundryman) (1879-1955)

Noach

De Roste Wasser

De Goebies

In 1988 the family De Bie-Baes left the Ghent area to move to rural Wannegem-Lede, the gateway to the Flemish Ardennes. Bit by bit Erwin started painting again. In 1991 Rita and Erwin made their last adventurous mountain tour climbing the 10.820 feet high Vignemale.

In 1994 the family relocated once again, this time to Kluisbergen, in the heart of the Flemish Ardennes where they bought a house situated on the Hotond hill. Is was here that the idea grew for a cartoon and Beatles project, together with Rudy Dasseville, manager of the Yellow Submarine’ bar in Ostend. Rudy was a wood artist who had earlier worked for Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and ZZ Top. In 1995 they organized the project ‘A Day in the Life of…Dasseville’. An exhibition of a cartoon poster based on 69 Beatles songs titles. The Flemish press reported this to be a real ‘crowd pleaser.’ In the same year the project was presented in Ghent.

This success was followed by projects: ‘The Largest Comic-Strip in the World’ (20 by 15 ft) in 1996 and in 1997 the caricature happening ‘One Way Street, a Street full of Famous Heads’, both during the 10 day ‘Ghent Festival.’

Bergen op Zoom Nederland

Ghent Belgium

Pierke

Life-size caricatures One Way Street

One Way Street Team

Also in 1996 he reintroduced himself to the public as a fine artist with the exhibition ‘What’s Behind that Curtain?’ in Ghent (Lakenmetershuis), 17 years after his previous exhibition. Doubts that he would have lost the fine art public after such a long time were unfounded. The public as well as the press still held him in their hearts and the exhibition received enthusiastic reviews.

The hilly region where he had lived for 3 years at that time is a well known area in the heart of the cycling race circuit with the ‘Tour of Flanders’ as the top event. Erwin had been a cycling fan since childhood and cycled regularly in the region. This inspired him to start work on an exhibition featuring the cycling sport, entitled ‘Kunst rond Koers’ which can be translated as ‘The Art of Cycling.’ In the run up to the exhibition some ‘connoisseurs’ were very critical about mixing the fine art of painting with something as ‘plebeian’ as the sport of cycling which was considered a sport for the lower classes and so therefore should not be mixed. But that kind of negative thinking did not affect the artist at all. He thought it was an outdated point of view, narrow-minded even. The modern cycling was already growing internationally. And after all, had not Van Gogh and Permeke been inspired by farmers and labourers? And wasn’t it Eugeen Van Mieghem who painted the dockers life? And not forgetting Parisians dancers and call girls who inspired Toulouse Lautrec. De Bie painted his racers rough, dark and strong. He painted the cycling world not only as a colourful circus but also showed the suffering and the pain, the friendship and betrayal, the perseverance and the failures, the triumphs and even the death. All this in his bold expressive style. The exhibition took place in 1999 in the cycling town Geraardsbergen (Grammont) in ‘the Carriage House’ from the cultural center. It became a huge success with hundreds of visitors, the national Belgian radio and television and the Flemish, German, French and Dutch press.

Poet Willie Verheghe, Rita, ex-racer Rik Van Steenbergen and actress Truus Druyts

Introducer Truus Druyts

‘Kunst rond Koers’ seemed to lead a life of its own and became an important part of Erwin De Bie’life as he was known as the ‘cycling painter par exellance.’ After Geraardsbergen the exhibition took place in ‘the Library’ of Harelbeke and the ‘Tour of Flanders VIP.

Later on, inspired by his profound psychological art, Joris De Wildeman (PR responsible of the newspapers ‘De Gentenaar-Het Nieuwsblad) started calling him ‘painter of bizarre beauty’, something which became more important to him and his work in his later life.

The successful exhibition led to further contacts with 2 art galleries and several art agents, however up to 40 percent commission was demanded and the need to adhere to the current style and cycling theme without any further modification or evolution. This was unacceptable for Erwin who did not want to be boxed in but preferred the way of total freedom as far as his art was concerned.

In 2000, one year after Paul McCartney’s art painting exhibition in Siegen, Germany, the city where Erwin had spent his military service, the lyrics of 35 Beatles songs were the inspiration for a new exhibition, ‘Painted Beatles Songs.’ A tribute to the Liverpudlians who had created the soundtrack of Erwin’s youth. The exhibition took place in a new loft gallery ‘Even-Aarde’ in the centre of Ghent. The success was overwhelming coinciding with the 10 days of the Ghent Festival. More than 7000 visitors came for the exhibition and was featured on the front pages of 2 Dutch newspapers. What particulary pleased the critics was that the paintings were not just anecdotal images but mixed with the painter’s own life experiences.

Dear mister De Bie,

I can confirm that Sir George Martin send you his congratulations regarding your exhibition ‘Painted Beatlessongs’ and thank you

for the way you transform the lyrics to visual art.

Yours sincerely

Shirly Burns – Air Studio London

By order of Mister George Martin / Beatles producer

Composer, musician, record producer

‘Abbey Road’ in Ghent

Rita at the ‘Lovely Rita’ painting

In 2001 Geraardsbergen (Carriage House) was again the host town for ‘Kunst rond Koers 2’ and had as much success as part 1. While the Tour of Flanders race was passing through the town, Erwin painted live a 16,5 by 11,5 ft painting of a cyclist. The masterpiece is now on permanent display in the administrative centre there. A traveling ‘Kunst rond Koers’ exhibition with paintings of part 1 and 2 were exhibited between 2001 and 2004 in Ninove (culture centre), Sluis Holland (Belfort/Belfry), Terneuzen Holland (town hall), Plouay France (Veloparc Mussée), Antwerp (Belgacom building), Zolder (culture centre) and Oudenaarde (town hall)

February 18th 2002 his mentor and close friend Roger De Crits died at the age of 89, Erwin was that day 51 years old.

For the exhibition ‘Kerkhof Blues / Graveyard Blues’ Erwin wanted a fellow exhibitor with a different discipline. The poetry of Sabine De Vos, writer and radio and tv personality, matched perfectly with his work. In 2002 the venue was the hall of the knights in the 1000 years old Gravensteen (Castle of the Counts) in the historic centre of Ghent. The response was enthusiastic and accompanied with superlatives as ‘confronting – expressive – makes you think – mixing sadness and hope – to never forget – serene art.’ Six months later ‘Kerkhof Blues’ moved to Antwerp (Gartner and Partner gallery.)

Now it's too late,

you don't put a warm blanket

over a tombstone

Sabine De Vos

A final comic book ‘Billy and Miss Euro’ was published in 2003 in Dutch and French to promote the launch of Euro Pallet.

In 2004 Johan Museeuw, one of the top cycling champions of his generation, reached the end of his career. For this farewell Erwin painted an impressive portret (8,8 by 6,5 ft) which was immediately bought by Museeuw’s home town Gistel and is there on permanent display in the sports hall.

In October of that same year Rita and Erwin sold their house and left with their 2 dogs on an almost 2-year long journey with a camper through France, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Spain and Portugal. The last 3 months were spent in Carreco in the beach house of a friend in the northern part of Portugal. There, after more than a 2 year hiatus he started painting again and produced 18 works of art in that relatively short period of time.

Beach house in Carreço Portugal

In May 2006 they were back in Belgium and settled in part of an old brewery in the little Walloon village Ellezelles in Pays de Collines, hill country close to the Flemish Ardennes.

Shortly after their return Erwin was asked to create a cycling exhibition for the town hall of the French city of Tours, in collaboration with 2 other artists.

In 2007 he opened his exhibition ‘Carecco Collection’ in his own gallery in Ellezelles. For this he created a large work of art (19,5 by 15 ft.) This consisted of 50 smaller pieces which are now to be found in Holland, Belgium, the U.K. and France. Maybe someday someone will bring them together again…

In the same year Erwin’s mother passed at the age of 81.

Erwin was born and grew up near the Ghent harbour. So the docklands were his playground. In 2008 this influence led to a series of paintings entitled ‘Port Blues.’ The success of his scenes led to the sale of most of the collection so an exhibition was not possible. But the harbour inspiration would come back regularly in his later work.

In that year he began writing a collection of 36 short biographical stories titled ‘Strange – weird and other stories.’ Doctor Jan Bonte wrote: “A collection of mysterious, biographical experiences and situations, happening by chance that take place in a twilight zone. Strange situations that can keep you awake at night.” It was submitted to a publisher who didn’t take the trouble to read the stories because he was convinced that no one would be interested in the writings of an artist. Erwin, absorbed in painting again viewed the writing as a kind of liberation. The story collection has been consigned to the cupboard ever since.

In the 2010 to 2017 period a few themed exhibitions took place: ‘Strange Days’ and ‘Yager, De Bie and Dee’ in the NH Hotel Ghent. ‘Heroes’ in Het Pand/University and the NH Hotel in Ghent. ‘Art on Steps’ with cycling paintings in the Campus Saint Joseph in Ghent, and the Museum of Valkenburg Holland was the decor for a cycling group exhibition on the occasion of the World Championship in that town in 2012. Another cycling group exhibition was held in Utrecht Holland (Old Post Office) on the occasion of the Tour de France grand depart in 2015.

When in the Giro ‘d Italia 2011 Wouter Weilandt died after a tragic fall, the Ghent Biking Doctors asked Erwin to make a realistic portret of the young racer, that was donated to the parents.

The parents of racer Wouter Weylandt at the portrait of their son

After a second exhibition ‘Bizarre Beauty’ in his own gallery and studio in Ellezelles, two retrospectives followed in Zelzate (Het Klooster) and St-Jan-in-Eremo (Engelendael.) In 2017 a third one in Bax Gallery and in the Atrium Art Center in Sneek, Holland Friesland.

More and more psychology became part of De Bie’s art. Dream images, nightmares and childhood traumas and fears. The thin line between genius and madness and unanswerable mysteries. Sometimes he used landscapes and cityscapes as metaphors to indicate a mental state. He also does not avoid difficult subjects as child and animal abuse. He paints about war and concentration camps. Erwin De Bie: “ Why should I not portray darker and heavier themes as well as cheerful and colourful themes? Both states of mind are my own. Let me add a sober but striking quote from the Belgian psychiatrist Dirk De Wachter from his book ‘Consolations’: The artist’s work IS the artist.”

In 2012, 2014 and 2016 the family spent 3 times 3 months in a country house of Belgian friends on a vineyard hill near Szigetvar, Hongary, a few miles from the cultural city of Pécs, where a painting studio was at Erwin’s disposal and a lot of work was done.

2019, after 2 years of work on ‘Kunst rond Koers 3’, 18 years after part 2, the exhibition was presented once again in Geraardsbergen (Carriage House) It was the crown on the cycling trilogy. Doubled in size presenting more than 60 new paintings. Part 1, 2 and 3, totalled 160 cycling works. The end of the ‘Kunst rond Koers’ period.

House in Szigetvar Hungary

Setup-team Geraardsbergen

In 2020 the town of Oudenaarde planned an exceptional and final ‘Kunst rond Koers – The Art of Cycling’ and a retrospective exhibition to coincide with the arrival of the Tour of Flanders’ cycle race. It took a 4-man team a week to build up everything in the ‘Our Lady Chapel and Old Hospital’ … and then, the evening before the vernissage the whole thing was cancelled because of the worldwide covid pandemic.

When the 2 years of corona were behind us and have been replaced by the Russian-Ukrainian war, the war in Gaza and global crisis, Erwin De Bie continues to paint with passion, however no major exhibitions are foreseen in the near future. Some vague nogotiations are underway. Proposals and ideas which may be a leading up to a potential project in some historical location. Plans that can take 2 or more years to complete. Perhaps a birthday present for a 75 or 80 years old painter? Although the Dutch Jeroen Wielaert (columnist – NOS radio and TV reporter) rather describes him as “A young man of all generations.”

Contributions from Peter Ouwerkerk, Rik Clément, Joris De Wildeman, Lut Versprille, Lesley Banks, Bert Wagendorp, Roger De Crits, Jérome Yager, Jos Murez, Patrick Cornillie, Luc Lamon and Jeroen Wielaert.

M.d.B 2025