Night Time

“It’s clear to see that what invariably animates the pictures is light. Watercolour is transparent, so the white of the paper itself is the light source.” - Hans Op de Beeck

Hans Op de Beeck has spent more than ten years working on a series of large, monochrome watercolours which he paints at night. The original works measure from 2.5 to 5 metres across and deal with both classical and contemporary themes. In many cases they are poetic scenes depicting mysterious night-time locations, sometimes populated by anonymous people. In common with his entire oeuvre, the mood of the image is the prominent feature.

This luxurious, large-format book, published in a limited edition of 800 copies, brings together more than 60 night-time watercolours which have never been published before. Together they create a sort of associative graphic novel. Hans Op de Beeck makes sculptures, films, paintings, drawings, photographs, as well as writing and creating monumental installations. His work is lauded at home and abroad, and he has staged solo exhibitions in venues including M HKA Museum of Contemporary Art in Antwerp, Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, Museum Wolfsburg, Smithsonian. His watercolours can be found in a number of top collections, including at the Centre Pompidou and Museum Voorlinden.