Flow, reflections and echoes
I am visiting Lode Laperre in Deinze, Belgium, for the first time since the artist moved to this spacious studio just a stone's throw from the river Leie, which winds calmly, illuminated on this winter afternoon. I observe the organisation of the space and how everything is meticulously cared for. The large windows allow light to enter unimpeded, flooding this very private area of the artist's world.
This return to contact with Lode Laperre's work is due to the invitation to curate an exhibition that will mark the artist's return to Lisbon, after 'Eon Eos' in 2023 at the Edison Gallery.
Returning to Lode Laperre's work, however brief the separation, opens my senses to a new wonder. It is like returning to a landscape we know well, yet cannot describe or explain. In Laperre's painting, there is mystery. There is a certain light, or perhaps a shadow. A mist or an afternoon sun. Often, my first observation begins with an inaudible sigh felt inwardly.
The details are infinite, as if Laperre had poured his soul in there, drop by drop, until the canvas became a reflection of everything he is. And I, a mere spectator, am swept along by this current, without resistance, without strength or will to escape, just like the river outside, but also within the painting, as if it were a metaphor for the flow of life. The waters, which run calmly, seem to echo in the grooves of the canvas, in the movements the artist carves out with mastery. Nature and art in dialogue, in a silent conversation that can only be heard by those willing to listen.
As I leave the studio, I cannot help but feel comforted. That luminous place reminds me that art is not static, but a reflection of the world and the soul. Lode Laperre, with his work, creates art that transcends time and space. He creates something that continues to surprise me, move me, and transform me.
Because, after all, true art never fully reveals itself; it always holds a secret, a mystery, a surprise. That is why I keep coming back with an open heart, always ready to be dazzled by what I had not yet seen.
Lisbon, February 2025
A reflection on the exhibition (COL)ORATOR, 2025 at Brisa Gallery in Lisbon, featuring works by artists Daniel Mattar and Lode Laperre.
Rui Guerreiro
