André Engels, abstract painting, mixed media on paper, 1964

This oil on paper by André Engels is part of the tradition of European lyrical and gestural abstraction.

Created in 1964, it features superimposed planes and textures , evoking certain works by Pierre Soulages through the depth and expressive force of the brushstrokes. The layers and impasto also recall the work of Hans Hartung for its linear dynamism and that of Jean-Paul Riopelle for its pictorial density and free-flowing gestures. The textured, almost sculptural areas may recall certain abstract periods of Zao Wou-Ki, where movement becomes language and rhythm.

The painting is distinguished by its gestural energy , where brushstrokes and fluid movements breathe a particular life into the surface by playing with light, relief and materials, creating areas of shadow and light that accentuate the depth and dynamism of the composition.

Framed under glass (dimensions: 104 x 73cm).

In excellent condition.

Origin:

The work comes from the private collection of Lola and Vito , with close collecting links to Géo de Vlaminck .

Biography:

Guels (pseudonym of André Engels , born in 1940) is a Belgian painter, active from the 1960s onwards. Trained at the Brussels Academy, he is largely self-taught in painting. He began his career in a style of lyrical abstraction, a period during which he signed his works with the pseudonym Guels.

Subsequently, his work evolved towards a synthesized, committed figuration, denouncing in particular pollution and the excesses of consumer society.

Engels developed a marked taste for pictorial experimentation at a very early age. His approach to painting is characterized by gestural freedom and a constant search for expression through matter and color. Influenced by the major currents of 20th-century European abstraction, he established a personal language in which textures, layers, and chromatic nuances interact with controlled intensity.

He also creates landscapes and poetic compositions in gouache, characterized by formal simplification and the use of simple color surfaces. He also works as a decorator, advertising designer, and graphic designer.
André Engels was a friend of the artists Aubin Pasque and Marti. He is mentioned in BAS II as well as in Deux siècles de signatures d'artistes de Belgique.