Born 1968, Wilrijk (BE)

Stefan Serneels is a Belgian contemporary artist living and working in Aarschot, Belgium. He works mainly with drawing and sometimes film, with an expressive core in figurative draughtsmanship and compositional layering.

His visual language builds from fragments of film stills, photographs, old magazines, and digital images, which he recomposes and transforms into new, dream-like scenes. In Serneels’ work, everyday interiors, stairways, objects, and figures are often decontextualized or subtly distorted to evoke a sense of estrangement or silent narrative tension.

His works are marked by restrained palettes (often monochrome or limited tones) and an atmospheric balance between order and uncanny interruption. He is also interested in the psychological and symbolic dimensions of space, memory, and alienation.

(photo: Nick Hannes)

Solo exhibitions

2025
- Continuous narratives, Künstlerzeche Unser Fritz, Herne, Germany

2024
- Unfamiliar Light*, CAPS, Ostend

2020
- a way in a space with neither here nor there*, De Garage, Mechelen
- a narrative remix*, Whitehouse Gallery, Lovenjoel

2017
- Suspicious Light*, Whitehouse Gallery, Lovenjoel

2016
- Screening short film *The Room Worker*, CC Gasthuis, Aarschot

2015
- Theatre/performance *The Room Worker*, CC Gasthuis, Aarschot

2014
- The Everyday Supernatural*, CC Maasmechelen

2012
- Room*, Crown Gallery, Brussels

2010
- Book presentation, Graanmarkt 11, Brussels

2009–2010
- The Gaze*, Crown Gallery, Brussels

2007
- Belgium Calling*, Linéart, Ghent
- The Hikikomori Drawing Series, Vol. 1*, Arte Ventuno, Brussels

2005
- The Wallpapered Life*, Anouk Vilain Art Gallery, Diepenbeek

2002
- Kiss(pieces) the Rest(pieces)*, Gallery De Zwarte Panter, Antwerp

2001
- Final presentation, EKWC, ’s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands

Group exhibitions

2025
- Er was eens…, curated by Tom Liekens & Glenn Geerinck, De Halle, Geel

2024
- Art on paper with Gallery Dudok&Degroot (Amsterdam, NL), Brussels
- Grand Prize Ernest Albert, Drawing, De Garage, Mechelen
- Free Enterprises*, Meub’art, Diest

2023
- Grand Prize Ernest Albert*, De Garage, Mechelen
- Without Words*, double exhibition with Frans Masereel, City Museum, Aarschot
- Fear Isn’t So Difficult to Understand*, duo show with Guy Vording, Galerie Dudok & De Groot, Amsterdam, NL
- A Light’s Narrative*, duo show with Ara Méndez Murillo, Whitehouse Gallery, Lovenjoel
- ARGENT*, 25 Years Anouk Vilain Art Gallery, Diepenbeek

2021
- Art on Paper*, represented by Whitehouse Gallery, Brussels
- Art Rotterdam*, represented by Whitehouse Gallery, Rotterdam, NL (cat.)

2020
- De Nacht*, De Warande, Turnhout

2019
- Mystery Repeats*, with Isabel Fredeus and Wiebke Kapitzky, Whitehouse Gallery, Lovenjoel
- Vienna Contemporary*, represented by Whitehouse Gallery, Vienna, AT
- The Gulf Between*, De Warande, Turnhout (cat.)

2017
- Fear in a Handful of Dust*, Marion de Cannière, Antwerp
- Arture #6*, Ressegem (Herzele) (cat.)

2016
- Dark Matters*, Eindhoven, NL
- Duikboout*, DIY Artist Collectives KASK 1992–2007, KASK, Antwerp (cat.)

2015
- Traces*, Galerie with Tsjalling, Groningen, NL

2014
- Reservoir of Enclosed Matter*, Morbee Gallery, Brussels
- Das Boot*, CC Zwaneberg, Heist-op-den-Berg

2012
- Art Brussels*, presented by Crown Gallery

2011
- Wet and Dry*, Crown Gallery, Brussels

2010
- (When Will They Finally See) The Power of Drawing*, Geukens & Devil, Antwerp (cat.)
- Art Amsterdam*, presented by Crown Gallery

2009
- Fading*, Museum of Ixelles, Brussels (cat.)

2008
- The Hands of Art*, Marta Herfort Museum, DE; SMAK, Ghent (cat.)

2007
- Over the Hedges*, Tafa Gallery, Tianjin, China (cat.)

2006
- BeTEKEND II*, Cultural Centre, Hasselt

2005
- Drawing Prize of the City of Ronse*, Ronse

2003
- Placenta5*, De Brakke Grond, Amsterdam, NL (cat.)

1999–2000
- Placenta Series*, Antwerp

(*Full list of group exhibitions available on request*)

Curatorial Projects & Residencies

2017
- Curated *Fear in a Handful of Dust*, Marion de Cannière, Antwerp

2012
- Curated *Domestic Disturbances*, CC Gasthuis, Aarschot (cat.)

2008
- Residency, FLICAM Project, Fuping, China

2006
- Residency, FLACC, Genk

2001
- Residency, EKWC, ’s-Hertogenbosch, NL (cat.)

Grants & Awards

2024
- Selection for Grand Prize Ernest Albert, De Garage, Mechelen

2020
- Project grant, Flemish Community (*Sketchbooks 1–6*, 2005–2018)

2009
- Prize for Best Editing, short film *Hikikomori Style*, Cinépublic, Ghent

2008
- Development grant, Flemish Community
- Travel & research grant, Flemish Community (FLICAM Project, China)

2005
- Second Prize, Drawing Prize of the City of Ronse

2003
- Selection, Provincial Prize of Flemish Brabant

2001
- International work grant, Flemish Community

Education

2021
Master of Fine Arts, KASK School of Arts, Ghent, Belgium

1987–1991
Ceramics, Provincial Higher Institute for Art Education, Hasselt, Belgium