When The Fog Comes Down: Chris Meulemans

When the Fog Comes Down is a comprehensive exploration of the practice of Belgian artist Chris Meulemans, authored by Koen Leemans. The book delves into Meulemans' career-long investigation into the human urge to manipulate and control our environment - a theme she navigates through a unique blend of figurative elements and abstract techniques. Her recent paintings centre on botanical motifs, using plants and flowers as a vehicle to evoke the fragility of both nature and the structures of everyday life. In many of Meulemans' works, the image seems either to be emerging or dissolving. It is as if one is looking at something that has not yet assumed a fixed form, or whose contours are already disintegrating. This indeterminacy is deliberate. She does not paint to represent something precisely, but to evoke a state: a moment between control and surrender, an in-between phase in which process and form become visible together, and every interpretation remains open. The publication highlights Meulemans' characteristic use of grid patterns as a discrete reference to science and the human drive to categorise and study. Through a process of intuitive layering and visual-poetic construction, her works create an uncomfortable yet mesmerising context that invites viewers to project their own narratives. Released in conjunction with her exhibition at CC De Werft (Exhibition space de Halle), this book situates Meulemans' work within the contemporary art landscape, emphasising her movement between various media - including painting, drawing, and collage. Text in English and Dutch. AUTHORS: Chris Meulemans (b. 1967) is an Antwerp-based artist who lives and works in Kasterlee. She received her Master of Fine Arts in Photography (1990) and Painting (1998) from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts and Sint Lucas School of Arts in Antwerp, respectively. Her practice is characterized by an open-minded investigation into how humans relate to their surroundings, often utilising plants as metaphors for vulnerability. A recipient of multiple awards, including the Ronse Drawing Prize (Honorable Mention, 2018), she has exhibited extensively across Belgium and the Netherlands, with notable solo shows at De Warande (Turnhout) and Shoobil Gallery (Antwerp). Meulemans is represented by the Valerie Traan Gallery and has dedicated over two decades to teaching painting, fostering a significant legacy within the Flemish art community. Koen Leemans (b. 1972) studied history at the University of Leuven. He was director at Cultuurcentrum Mechelen. As curator he was responsible for the exhibitions there and at De Garage, a space for contemporary art in Mechelen. As an independent curator, Koen Leemans organises exhibitions in various art spaces, primarily at Keteleer Gallery Antwerp. He is a member of several art committees and works as a writer and visiting lecturer. SELLING POINTS: . Provides an in-depth look at the evolution of Chris Meulemans' artistic practice as a painter . Showcases Meulemans' signature style - a sophisticated interplay of abstract textures, collage layering, and figurative botanical subjects . It features expert analysis by Koen Leemans, offering a scholarly and poetic perspective on the artist's themes of control and fragility . Explores complex cultural topics such as colonial and scientific appropriation of nature through the accessible yet unsettling beauty of floral portraiture 117 colour illustrations