About | artblondiau

About

Blondiau studied painting at the Art Academy of Braine-l’Alleud and at La Cambre in Brussels as a free student, alongside academic studies in development. Largely self-taught as a painter, his practice has been shaped as much outside institutions as within them. After many years in London, he has been based in the Netherlands since 2020. Landscape has long been central to his work—not as a motif, but as a way of engaging with perception and presence. In his paintings, landscape is not something observed from a distance. The work develops from a state of involvement, where the boundary between observer and image loosens. Rather than depicting a scene, the paintings aim to draw the viewer into an active exchange, inviting them to inhabit the space rather than stand outside it. Some works connect with the spirit of shanshui, the Chinese landscape tradition in which landscape is understood as a world to enter rather than a scene to describe. This approach informs both composition and technique. Working from a darkened surface, the image is revealed by subtraction: paint is removed, light emerges, and forms hover on the edge of appearance. Areas of openness and ambiguity are integral, allowing space, silence, and presence to remain part of the image.

Exhibitions

Blondiau exhibited in galleries in London (Hicks Gallery, Cavaliero Finn Gallery, Gagliardy Gallery), Brussels (Arthus Gallery, Galerie Chapitre 12) and in Netherlands (Montulet Gallery, Mokum Gallery) and in several art fairs. In 2014 paintings of Blondiau were selected for an exhibition of the Dulwich Picture Gallery (London) and shortlisted for a prize. In 2018, the London County House commissioned two large paintings currently on permanent show. In 2023 and 2024 paintings of Blondiau were selected by the London Royal Academy of Arts for their Summer shows. Paintings of Blondiau are in several private collections.

Solo and group Exhibitions

2024: Royal Academy of Arts (London) Summer show

2023: Gallery Zone, Leiden, The Netherlands. Royal Academy of Arts (London) 2023 summer show

2022 : Arthus Gallery- Brussels, Belgium

2022: Katwijk Museum, Netherlands

2018: London County Hall - London, United Kingdom

2014: Dulwich Picture Gallery - London, United Kingdom

2013: JP art Gallery , Batersea, United Kingdom

2012: Cavalierofinn Gallery / AAF - London, United Kingdom

2009: Gallery Bergamoff - Brussels, Belgium

2008: Hicks Gallery - Wimbledon, United Kingdom

2007: Gagliardi gallery - London, United Kingdom