Marc Van Cauwenbergh was born in Belgium and has lived in New York City since 1994. He studied at the Hogeschool voor Wetenschap en Kunst, Campus St-Lucas, Ghent, the Koninklijke Akademie voor Beeldende Kunsten in Ghent, Belgium and received an MFA from Pratt Institute (1989) in Brooklyn, NY.

Interested in body presence and behavior, Marc
Van Cauwenbergh focuses on humanoid forms
in motion. Though completely abstract, his
compositions translate as portraits of the lyrical
interaction imbued in physical movement.
Here, thin washes of oil paint, which are brushed
directly onto the linen, create predominantly
vertical shapes. These mysterious banners of
translucent color are carefully layered on top of
each other and hence, intermingle like engaging
bodies. In fact, each distinct shape translates
as a silhouetted individual, whose characteristics
and personality are defined through the
artist’s handling of color and form. Together, the
elements begin to interact, cover one another,
weave together, and separate, generating a
strong notion of sensuality and even eroticism.
These color conglomerates are set against
plain backgrounds, creating a precise framework
for the unifi ed subject. Within this space, Van Cauwenbergh’s abstract figures seem to be floating freely. The confinements of the canvas resemble the theatric stage.

The inherent lyricism is as organic as it is graceful.
Combining deeply saturated lime greens, with subdued grays, blues, or charcoal black, for example, Van Cauwenbergh’s palette significantly aids in determining each work’s unique mood. As the rhythm fluctuates from canvas to canvas, so does the sentiment. At ease with his visual vocabulary, Van Cauwenbergh succeeds in capturing a variety of expressions as his works can range from almost soothingly serene to dramatically fierce.

What prevails, no matter what the sentiment,
is Van Cauwenbergh’s keen understanding
of restrained gesture. In his world less is more
and so he sends his images off to materialize
in front of each viewer as a unique mirage.

In 2000, Van Cauwenbergh completed a residency at Montserrat College of Art, Beverly, MA. He published a limited edition of four lithographs with Bruno Robbe Editions in Mons, Belgium in 2006.

He has exhibited in galleries throughout the United States and Europe. Awards include Grant Flemish Community, Belgium, Fulbright-Hays Grant for study in USA.