The Brussels Boy

I first stumbled upon the art of Ben Heine on the internationally acclaimed website of DeviantArt. His images struck me as surreal and very creative but that comes as no surprise seeing as he was raised in Brussels; one of the many heavily saturated artistic venues in Europe. Heine grew up attending public school, which he soon grew to dislike in the stages of his rebellious youth. This behavior forced his parents to place him in a boarding school for six years where he grew as a person and an artist. It was after his tumultuous period of adolescence that he began to focus more on his graphic abilities, creating new works of art, and discovering three trademark styles which he currently displays on internet websites and famous art galleries.

Pencil VS. Camera
Heine has been developing this style for the past few years, perfecting it which each photograph and drawing he creates. His hand appears in each of his photos which, as he says, represents the close connection between the viewer, the artist, and the art work. His ideas and subject matter stem from nature and human emotions.



Digital Circlism
This concept, though not something new to the world of art, combines the American pop art of Andy Worhal and other such artists with the geometic organization of Chuck Close. Heine chooses to call his works under this category "digital circlism," recreating computerized images of famous figures such as Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley. These images are created by carefully placed flat circles on a solid black background.



Flesh and Acrylic
Lastly, Heine has taken on a new project as of early 2011 titled "Flesh and Acrylic." He works with many different models, covering all or part of their bodies in paint and arranging them on a Jackson Pollock-esque background. The body and canvas merge as one to create an image of whimsicality and blended camoflauge. Heine admits to using non-cadmium based paint, as it irritates the skin and contains toxic materials.