Kobe (artist)

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Kobe
(Jacques Saelens)
Kobe (copyright Stefano Baroni).jpg
Kobe (2006)
Born(1950-09-04)4 September 1950
Kortrijk, Belgium
Died26 October 2014(2014-10-26) (aged 64)
Saint-Julien, Var, France
NationalityBelgian
Websitehttp://foundationkobe.com/
Arcade, 1999, Bronze – Blandford, Nova Scotia, Canada – 670 x 630 x 440 cm – Private collection
La Baigneuse (The Bather), 1994, marble, at The Phoebus Foundation, and Kobe's son Albin Saelens[1]

Kobe (pseudonym of Jacques Saelens, (Kortrijk, Belgium 4 September 1950 – Saint-Julien, Var, France, 26 October 2014) was a Belgian visual artist and sculptor.

Early life[edit | edit source]

Kobe studied in Belgium, at LUCA School of Arts in Schaarbeek (1969–1974) and the Academy of Fine Arts in Kortrijk (1969–1977), where he discovered the importance of drawing for a sculptor.[2] At the age of 25 he travelled for one year to Central America and South America, where he was greatly taken by the ample forms of generously-endowed local matrons.[2]

His artistic vision was further shaped by many travels in Africa and Asia, where he observed the ancient sculptures. Professionally he was a teacher of sculpture at the Academies of Kortrijk, Deinze and Harelbeke.[3] Around 1992 Kobe started experimenting with flat shapes, which led to a typical style of wide and thin sculptures.[3][4]

In Al Zijn Glorie (In All His Glory), 2011, in bronze - 51 x 53 x 17,5 cm
Grande Torse Debout (Large Standing Torso), 1999, bronze – 160 x 48 x 20 cm (base 60 x 30 cm) – Beeldengalerij Het Depot[5][6] (museum)

Career[edit | edit source]

In 1995 he became an independent sculptor and worked in Pietrasanta (Tuscany, Italy) close to the many bronze foundries and the marble quarries of Carrara.[3]

Artworks[edit | edit source]

In the morning Kobe would make sketches or drawings, which he then later elaborated into an artwork.[4][3]

Kobe's artworks are mostly made in bronze and marble. Two subjects dominate his artworks: the female figure and the horse. Kobe’s female figures are maternal and human, be they fat or thin, and his horses symbols of strength, companionship and connection.[2]

Kobe's most monumental artwork Arcade (670 x 630 x 440 cm) is in a private collection in Nova Scotia, Canada, close to the Atlantic Ocean. Other works of art can be found in museums and private collections, among which Beeldengalerij Het Depot[7][8][5][6] and The Phoebus Foundation[1].

Publications[edit | edit source]

  • Ingenious Cheerful Simplicity[9] (art catalogue – 1995 – hardcover – 57p. – NL/FR/EN/DT/IT) (published by Robinsons Art Gallery) (selection of Kobe's first sculptures)
  • Herinneringen (Veertig Vlamingen en hun geliefkoosd kunstwerk)[4] (in this book the entrepreneur and art collector Fernand Huts (owner of Katoen Natie) describes his choice for the bronze artwork The Great Captain)
  • Playing with surfaces and forms[9] (art catalogue – 2004 – hardcover – 48p. – NL) (published by MPV Gallery) (selection of Kobe's sculptures between 1996 and 2004)
  • Kobe[9] (DVD – 2008 – 33 min. – NL/EN subtitles) (published by MPV Gallery) (shows the work and life of Kobe)
  • Becoming Kobe[9] (art catalogue – 2010 – hardcover – 95p. – NL/EN) (published by MPV Gallery) (selection of Kobe's sculptures between 2002 and 2010)
  • Het Depot Belicht[7] (book published by Beeldengalerij Het Depot that shows their collection, in which a sculpture by Kobe is mentioned)
  • Kobe – Ingenious Simplicity[10][9] (monograph – 2016 – hardcover – 252p. – NL/EN/FR) (written by art critic Johan Debruyne and Albin Saelens) (monograph about the life of Kobe and most of his artworks)
  • Masterpieces[9] (art catalogue – 2018 – hardcover – 26p. – NL/FR/EN) (published by Robinsons Art Gallery) (selection of marble sculptures)
  • Kunstmo(nu)menten[3] (the bronze artwork De Grote Aanvoerder (The Great Captain) is mentioned in this book that takes the reader on an art route through Beveren)

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 https://www.headquarters-katoennatie.com/en/the-bather-kobe The marble artwork ‘La Baigneuse’ (The Bather) in the private collection of The Phoebus Foundation (Katoen Natie)
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Hamming, Annelette (2001). "De kwetsbare kracht van Kobe". Tableau Fine Arts Magazine (in Dutch). No. 4 (23ste jaargang) (September/Oktober). PlantijnCasparie Breda). pp. 84–89. ISSN 0166-4492.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Drieghe, Gerda; Andries, Wilfried (2019). Kunstmo(nu)menten (in Dutch). De Beverse Klok. pp. 64–66. ISBN 978-90-808879-5-4.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Herinneringen [Veertig Vlamingen en hun geliefkoosd kunstwerk] (in Dutch). Openbaar Kunstbezit in Vlaanderen. 2003. pp. 50–51. ISBN 90-76099-55-3.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Dijkman, Loek (2016). "De tors in Nederland" [De nieuwe thematentoonstelling in Het Depot]. Fragment (in Dutch). No. 10. Stichting Het Depot. p. 97. ISSN 1875-1679.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 https://www.hetdepot.nl/en/Kunstenaars/Kobe Collection of Kobe artworks at Beeldengalerij Het Depot. Wageningen, The Netherlands
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Het Depot Belicht (in Dutch). Stichting Het Depot. 2014. pp. 36–37. ISBN 978-90-822551-0-2.
  8. ↑ Dijkman, Loek (2016). "De tors in Nederland" [De nieuwe thematentoonstelling in Het Depot]. Fragment (in Dutch). No. 10. Stichting Het Depot. p. 37. ISSN 1875-1679.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 https://www.foundationkobe.com/publications/ List of publications about Kobe
  10. ↑ Saelens, Albin; Debruyne, Johan (2016). Kobe-Ingenious Simplicity (in Dutch, English, and French). Stichting Kunstboek. ISBN 978-90-5856-566-2.
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