|
Christine Comyn demonstrated a natural aptitude for painting and drawing at very young age and refined
her artistic talents at the Saint-Luke Academy in Ghent (Belgium). Upon completing her education, she
worked as an illustrator for Lannoo book publishers from 1978 until 1983. In 1981, at the age of 24, she
became an instructor at the Academy of Modern Art in Tielt, and maintained this position until 1997.
Eventually, Christine yearned to explore a more expressive approach through her own art and abandoned
painting by order. In 1983, Comyn’s artistic journey began by mastering the delicate and unpredictable
technique of watercolour. Her figurative watercolours showed graceful young females and were soon
recognised by Mr. Willy Bosschem, director of the Academy of Modern Art of Ostend (Belgium), who invited
her to exhibit in the "Thermae Palace Hotel" in Ostend in 1988. Her first professionally organised solo
exhibition was an overwhelming success and the entire collection of watercolours sold out.
Being confident and creative Comyn chose to abandon her solely figurative style and unleashed a body of
work that earned her recognition by a most discriminating international clientele. Refusing to adopt a
wild and free-form style Comyn instead preferred to explore the potentialities of colour and rhythm,
without neglecting the need for structure. The result: explosive colour compositions that possessed a
unique pictorial tension amidst logical balance.
In 1991 Christine Comyn was selected by L’Oreal Cosmetics Group in Brussels to execute a series of
paintings inspired by their new fragrance line. The artist’s translation of complex aromas in
extraordinary visual images became the focus of a national promotional campaign and the publication of
the limited edition lithographs: "Turbulent" and "Shimmering Light". The recognition earned through this
endeavour propelled Comyn’s reputation in the Contemporary Art World to new heights.
By 1992 Comyn merged her propensity for figurative and abstract techniques and allowed herself to study
her new-found interest in figurative painting, especially the human body. Her art work offers us a
combination of abstract and figure painting.
The way in which the human figure –man or woman- is carefully integrated within the total image is quite
surprising. Though they seem to occupy a central place in her lively scenes, they play a secondary role
and are a result of what former lines and color patches evoke in the artist’s mind. From the dynamism
and symbolism inherent to the purely pictorial background emerges an emotion that assumes the shape of a
human figure.
Her art work unites the somewhat hard character of acrylics and the more lively and light one of
watercolour. Each technique could also act autonomously, but without achieving the power and compactness
of the global effect that is so typical for Christine Comyn’s paintings.
Comyn’s command of her chosen mediums has enabled her to satisfy her ultimate intention – to create rich
and deeply convincing works of art worthy of international recognition and exhibited in Switzerland,
Italy, Germany, Venezuela, Columbia, Russia and the United States.
In june 1997 Comyn’s first monograph was published and presented to the collected press by Minister of
Culture, Luc Martens. On the occasion of the book’s publication a retrospective was organised in the
Casino of Ostend, with paintings created in the period from 1988 until 1997. Lots of paintings had to be
recuperated from private collectors, who were honoured to contribute to the exhibition. Also in 1997
Christine Comyn was honoured with the National Prize of the Belgian reference yearbook "Artists and
Galleries".
In March 1998 Christine Comyn’s exceptional artistic talents earned her an invitation to participate in
"Le Prix International d’ Art Contemporain de Monte Carlo" by a jury of renowned artists like Adami,
Folon, Botero and de Séradour and under chairmanship of Princess Caroline of Monaco.
In June 1998 Christine Comyn was invited by the artistic director of the Royal Ballet of Flanders to
execute a series of paintings inspired by ballet. Christine was graced with the opportunity to study and
sketch the dancers of the Royal Ballet during their practice sessions. The artistic synergy led to a
much publicised exhibition of her work at the new theatre in Antwerp, and a special production, titled
"Looking Through Glass" by the Royal Ballet dedicated to Christine Comyn’s private collectors.
On the occasion of "The Night of the Golden Exclusief" an award ceremony in the Casino of Knokke-Heist
in March 1999 and May 2000 by one of the most exquisite life-style magazines "Exclusief" Christine was
commissioned to create a bronze sculpture. The award was granted to some of the most influential and
creative talents in Belgium’s advertising and feature film making industries by a jury of 15 famous
creative people. Christine created a clay-sculpture, figuring a graceful female, cast in bronze on 20
pieces.
Christine Comyn’s second monograph was published in October 2000, a large-size art book (30x30cm) with
144 pages, 120 colour illustrations and texts by art-critic Frans Boenders.
|
