Karel Vereycken, Nohô Host in Montreuil: engraver, art historian, and ambassador of humanity

My first project is a book I just finished. It’s a visual dialogue between Flemish painters and the art of Leonardo da Vinci, centered on the theme of grotesques. Flemish painters like Brueghel, who had a great sense of humor and a very unique way of depicting the world. There were some truly surprising connections between Italy and Flanders when it came to art, and I can’t wait to see how this book turns out. I’m also currently working on a series of engravings: portraits of Flemish fishermen. People whose faces are sculpted by the salt of the North Sea, who have weathered the harsh realities of life. They are weathered, but they possess a spirit and a dignity that command respect. I’ve completed four of them, and I’d like to create two more.

All my life, I’ve taken immense pleasure in sharing. I’m not here to showcase my ego. but to help you discover a dimension of art that I’m particularly skilled at making people appreciate. I’ll open the doors to my world of copper and zinc etching. The metal plates, the inks, the damp paper—everything that happens between the initial idea and the final print. We’ll start by flipping through my prints together. I’ll show you how an etching is created, how drypoint, the graver, aquatint, or soft ground techniques change the result, and why a single plate can yield prints that are all different. There’s a story behind every piece, and we’ll take the time to talk about it. The art of drawing comes from drawing itself. All you need is curiosity.

On Nohô, certain encounters open doors you didn’t even know were closed. My meeting with Karel Vereycken was one of them. Not a lecture, not a museum tour: a conversation with someone who has dedicated his life to understanding art and inspiring others to explore it. One hour in Montreuil, and you’ll never look at an engraving the same way again.