The last solo show of Belgian street artist Joachim saw him literally take over Huberty & Breyne Gallery in Brussels for his successful sell out show ‘Till Death Do Us ‘Art’, in 2017. Since then Joachim has been creatively working on a new body of works for his debut London solo show ‘Born to Paint’, curated by Rosh Boroumand co-founder GraffitiStreet.
Joachim comments about his passion for painting, “Every second of the day I’m creating art, even if I’m not doing it … I dream about it! You could even say that other commitments, such as buying food or paying bills, things that other people find normal, slows me down… if it was up to me I would never eat again… art is what I was born to do!”
GraffitiStreet opened the doors to Joachim’s debut London solo show ‘Born to Paint’ on 1st March 2018 for a Private viewing. The unusual March snowy evening didn’t deter and over 150 braved the sub zero temperatures and deep snow, brought by the ‘Beast from the East, to the popular Dray Walk of Truman Brewery, slap bang in the middle of Shoreditch, London’s street art mecca.
Joachim handed out free pink hand-sprayed cans to the first 25 in the queue, which Joachim painted to match the super impressive customised pink mini cooper! and the first one hundred to attend the private preview also received a limited edition ‘Born to Paint’ screen-printed t-shirt!
Inside the venue the pink graffiti Mini Cooper, with Joachim’s trademark skull stenciled on top, was parked in the entrance and was the centrepiece of the show.
Colourful dotted umbrellas and raindrops hung down from the ceiling, mirroring the details in Joachim’s canvases. The installation was also a wry nod to the English weather, only instead of gloomy rain Joachim brought colour, to emphasise the importance of staying positive.
Joachim comments on the bright installation,“It is also something that I associate with London or the UK in general. A figure that is walking with an umbrella in the rain. But I did not want to make a gloomy picture of it, it had to be positive, happy rain, you might say. That’s why I chose to display the rain in all kinds of colours in an installation from the ceiling of the gallery…”
Joachim’s trademark skull was visible throughout the solo show. The skulls were stencilled on the Mini Cooper, in the urban mini canvases composition, and for his London limited edition hand-pulled screen prints. However, as Joachim mentions his skulls are in all of his works, its just that they are covered …
Joachim comments on his iconic trademark, “I have always been fascinated by life and death. The skull has become my logo over the years. If you pay attention, the teeth of the skull always return in my characters on canvas. You could say that there is a skull under every figure. In this way, life and death are connected in my work, without really going into that subject.”
Joachim loves to experiment with many techniques, and for ‘Born to Paint’ Joachim painted with oil for the first time. The oil paint is used coarsely and brings a youthful raw dimension to his incredible artworks. He also used the paint brush of his late grandmother, one that he saved for a special occasion.
The preview was enjoyed by all and everyone embraced the chilly weather with a cold beer by Belgian Premium Heverlee Beers.
2018 marks the start of a new chapter with his debut London solo show ‘Born To Paint’ giving the people of London, and beyond, a special insight into Joachim’s latest body of work.
Visitor Information
Admission: FREE
Open daily: Friday 2nd – Saturday 10th March, 10:00-18.30 (Viewing by appointment outside these hours).
Venue: Unit 11 Dray Walk, The Old Truman Brewery, 91 Brick Lane, London E1 6QL
Nearest London Underground Station: Shoreditch High Street, Liverpool Street
Official link: www.borntopaint.co.uk
Contact: [email protected]
The PDF of available works can be found here.
