Leen Vereecken

Leen Vereecken creates paintings and drawings, particularly expressive portraits that focus on emotion, gaze and individual presence.

Leen Vereecken, an artist from Laarne, has had a passion for drawing and painting from a young age. Driven by her love of art, she has continued to train and develop her techniques.

An important part of her development came through her best friend, who was once her visual design teacher in Antwerp. This friend supported her with many practical tips and remains her digital drawing coach today, helped by their renewed contact through Facebook.

Leen specialises in creating original portraits in which she tries to capture the unique emotions, gazes and presence of people. Her highly sensitive and spiritual nature often appears in her work, with her own feelings projected into the images she creates.

She works mainly with Rembrandt soft pastels but is open to other techniques. For a period, she used retro wallpaper as a ground, allowing the background to remain visible in selected areas. Although she still occasionally works on wallpaper, she now usually begins with a blank sheet measuring approximately one metre by seventy centimetres.

Leen has completed several drawing courses and has exhibited her work in various galleries and art centres. To develop her creativity further, she also trained as a graphic designer.

Training

• After 2013: Art Academy of Wetteren, life drawing
• 2012-2013: Vrije Academie Gent, life drawing
• 2008: Syntra Sint-Niklaas and Bruges, refresher training in graphic software
• 2003-2005: Instituut Sint Maria Antwerp, diploma in graphic design
• During primary and secondary education: Art Academy of Wetteren

Exhibitions

• Small exhibition at Skala Kalken during performances by theatre group Kattenheye
• Christmas market at Dorley Plants & Flowers, 2023
• Kunst in de Kerk, Kalken, October 2023
• Solo exhibition, former Laarne Town Hall, May 2023
• Atelier In Beeld / Open Studio Days, May 2023
• Arte Amanti, Laarne Church, March 2023
• Kunstcentrum De Pastorie, Ressegem, April 2021
• Gallery in Tongeren, Global Art VZW, September 2020
• Galerie KuNSTal, Gistel, July 2020
• Group exhibition, Westrem Church, January to March 2020
• WAK, Week of Amateur Arts, Laarne, May 2018
• Lak@rt group exhibition, Stadshal Nieuwpoort, May 2018
• Lak@rt in the Church of Kalken, 2017 and 2018
• Pop-up exhibition, Wetteren, 2017
• Lak@rt Art Route, 2015 and 2017
• Group exhibition Voorbij De Maan, pavilion at Laarne Castle, April 2015