Introduction


Leonardo Torfs has put his artistic work in the sign of an Albert Camus' quote: "To my opinion, art is not a form of entertainment for hermits. Art should touch the largest number of people possible and should offer them a typical image of their common suffering and common joys".

Anyone becoming familiar with his works, will experience how he has realised this outstanding art conception. His landscapes, still lives and genre paintings are covered in a mist of poetic symbolism, often and unjustifiably confused with magic realism or surrealism. His famous portraiture remains unequaled and accurate in character painting. The artist's commitment, especially to all modern problems such as cold-heartedness, massification, pollution, discrimination, social abandonment is reflected in several of his works; Paul Claudel refers to it as "the listening eye".


Biographic data


Born : Herenthout, March 2, 1927
Atelier : Lange Leemstraat 21 - 2018 Antwerpen (Belgium)
Private : Flor Alpaertstraat 37 - 2060 Berchem - Phone (32) 3 449 90 60

Leonardo Torfs has a broad career as an art painter behind him. At the age of 21, just married, he leaves for South America, where - after a difficult start - he manages to live from the earnings of his art. He paints many portraits of rich dignitaries, but luckily does not forget to be inspired by local tableaus : market places, cigar-smoking "peones" (farmers), indians, etc.
His drawings and paintings are found all over the world and decorate walls in Argentina, Brasil, Venezuela, the United States, Canada and - last but not least - Europe. In 1970, the master returns to his native country with his wife and six children, where he - what else - continues to draw and paint. With a few others, he founds the Antwerps Openluchtatelier (Antwerp Open-air Atelier) and acts as its chairman for a period of 12 years. In his private atelier located in the Lange Leemstraat 21, freely accessible to anyone interested, he welcomes all sorts and conditions of people : art lovers and buyers of course, but also students, amateur painters, one day even a 74 year old man who at all costs wanted to show the painter his "well conserved " body.
Leonardo Torfs works undefatigably, he is literally bursting with ideas. "There are still so many things that need to be realised ", we read in his short autobiography where we've also found these biographical notes.

Art practise
Painting - drawing, modelling, etching

Techniques used
Oil paint, pastel, aquarelle, ink, pencil, chalk

Style
Figurative and abstract

Etudes et formation
Academie d'Anvers, St. Lukas Gand, Autoformation

Most important personal exhibitions
Encarnacion (1949), Asuncion (1952-1956),
Antwerp (1968- '72 - '74 - '83 - '91), Laken (1973), Diksmuide (1978),
Ekeren (1974 - '91), Noorderwijk (1970), Mortsel (1970 - '72 - '88 - '89),
Deurne-Manebrugge (1975), Breda (1991), Mechelen (1977), Nijlen (1971), Berchem (1991), Louvain (1971), Herenthout (1978), Lier (2000) and a series of atelier exhibitions and others.

Most important group exhibitions
4th, 5th and 9th Biënnale San Paulo (Brasil), Gallery Kotler (New York), Groot Vleeshuis Ghent (1993), Lakenmetershuis Ghent (1995), Gallery Myriel Ghent (1995), Begijnhof Mechelen (1977), 't Centrum Mortsel (1974), Cami Gallery Antwerp (1993), Schaliënhoeve Berchem (1975), Mornington, Cranbourne and Frankston (Australia)(1985), Libramont (2000),
several in Antwerp (1968, - '78 - '84 - '92) and others.

He has taught Art of Decoration and drawing for several years at the Erasmus school in Antwerp.
Co-founder and, for a period of 12 years, chairman of the Open-air Atelier in Antwerp and for several years member of the board of the V.P.K. (Association Plastic Artists of Belgium).

Works in private ownership
a.o. in Belgium, Argentina, Brasil, Paraguay, Venezuela, Uruguay, Mexico, Columbia, China, Australia, United States, Canada, the Netherlands, France, Germany, England, Spain.

Monographies
"100 Ink sketches Leonardo Torfs" (1980) - Private edition Th. Pulinkx
"Leonardo Torfs in words" (1989) - Private edition D. Van Dijck

Video tapes
"A life serving Art " I - (444 oil paint paintings)
"A life serving Art " II - (500 drawings, Pastels, Aquarelles)


Work

The works of Leonardo Torfs cannot simply be categorized. If something general is to be said about his works (and in doing so, we are not doing the artist justice), all one can remark is that his art is "figurative". Every painting is, in first instance, a joy and surprise to the eye. Originality binds his themes. From a technical point of view, his works are tours de force, one by one ; full of colour, variation and details. His portraits, often of an impressive beauty, clearly mark his skills. Content-wise, his works remind of numerous schools and trends : impressionism, expressionism, naturalism, surrealism, symbolism, magic realism. Leonardo Torfs has fed upon many sources, thus creating unpredictable art, but art which is always exciting and surprising.
Leonardo Torfs' paintings and drawings contain an emotional load. Cheerfulness, emotion, confusion or plain curiosity take possession of the spectator ; the images never cease to touch the spectator.

Portraits
In the vast oevre of Leonardo Torfs, his painted and drawn portraits take up an important position. From childhood, he has had a special preference for the human face, a passion that has never left him. He sees portraiture as the most difficult genre for an art painter, a genre showing mastership. His portraits are not only well painted, but they reflect a striking resemblance to the model. A resemblance which, according to Leonardo Torfs, is essential to come to a good portrait.

He paints classic portraits but also modern portraits in oil paint. He makes portrait sketches in chalk, pencil and brush, but also pastel portraits which charm through their softness and colour variations. Although he will sometimes use photographs (e.g. of deceased persons), he prefers - almost exclusively - to work with a life model. In his atelier, he chooses position and lighting himself and during a pleasant conversation, he will probe the character and emotional world of the model to finally come to a striking resemblance.

His portrait sketches are true pieces of bravado and set an example of his technical skills. He paints a sketch in about 60 minutes. Only few will be able to compete with him !

Style periods
Leonardo Torfs' style periods are not linked to certain time frames and - in his case - reflect an inner necessity. Whoever paints day in day out, will find changes in design, colour and working method a relief, a way to explore new powers and new possibilities. Every work of Leonardo Torfs, also his modern works, reflect his classic education : stable structures, harmonic use of colours and sound craftmanship.


Criticism

"Leonardo Torfs is just about a complete plastic artist, actually found very seldomly. Without any form of irritant breach, he indeed can go from naturalism to magic realism or phantasmamagic. Every painting - as every drawing - implicates renewed dedication, and hence, offers a different meeting. This aspect makes Torfs' work fascinating and full of variation, although one does sense the same hand behind it all.
In the inveterate difficult portraiture genre, Leonardo Torfs may without hesitation be called brilliant. Without the slighest indication of monotony, he paints a vast series of portraits. He is a pointed portraitist with spirit, yet at the same time creates enjoyable paintings. Human appearance continues to fascinate him. In a series of recent tests, he has actually re-animated his portraiture. His portraits are lighter and fresher than some older portraits. The white areas make the portrait breathe."

René Turkry - art critic

"Looking at the drawings, aquarelles and paintings of Leonardo Torfs, one recognizes an artist who - throughout his evolution - has managed to control himself and who has not been caught by cheap effects or other dangers which might affect his talent. In the vast oevre of Leonardo Torfs, one also finds that he has, at regular intervals, enforced a rearrangement of his expression, leading to a certain variation of styles which do not result from doubt or confusion. They clearly spring from a need to renovate expression and theme, and have intensified in his later works.
In the rich diversity of Leonardo Torfs' talent, one also has to admit that he is a very skillful portraitist. He clearly is an honest and good artist who ceaselessly creates according to his own possibilities and talent ; as expressed by Dante in his Divina Commedia : "Follow your own course and let people speak."

Remi de Cnodder - art critic

Leonardo speaking

The different forms or "styles" in my paintings and drawings are like different languages. They allow me to communicate my feelings, thoughts or phantasies. When a certain image language seems more appropriate to express myself, I will use that language irregardless of trends. I will, for instance, paint the beauty of a simple still life, starting from the visual impression on my retina and emotions. To increase the dramatic power of a certain theme, I will use an expressive (or expressionistic) art form and to allow my phantasy to take its own course, I will explore the grounds of surrealism and symbolism. Whoever becomes familiar with the works of an artist, will also get to learn the person behind the works because through his works, the artist will expose himself; his own being is hidden in every painting and, unconsciously, the artist shares the person he in fact is ! Who wishes to completely know me as an artist, has to take the time to look at my works in all their diversity, a diversity that I myself experience as possibilities and inner richness. It reflects how I love the world with all the things that surround us. It reflects how I love man with all his beauty, his grandeur and his weaknesses. I try to communicate this through my works!

Leonardo Torfs