Where Colour Comes to Life

Once you see Christian Develter’s work, you’ll start recognising it throughout your Southeast Asian travels. The Belgian-born artist has been living in Asia since the nineties calling Thailand and, more recently, Cambodia home. Known for his big, brilliant portraits (typically 150x170 centimetres and larger) painted so one can look the paintings straight in the eyes.  

Gracing the cover of Exotiq’s first issue in 2015, Develter continues to gain fame, now based in a custom-built studio just outside of Siem Reap. With decades of working and living in Asia under his belt, the artist still finds inspiration all around and doesn’t show any signs of slowing down.

When did you start painting professionally?

“I studied art at the Institute of Fine Arts St. Lukas in Ghent, Belgium followed by fashion studies at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp. I’ve been painting and sketching ever since, although my career as a professional painter started taking off in 1993 a few years before I moved to Asia.”

Why did you first come to Southeast Asia?

“The first time I visited Asia was in the mid-nineties. I went to Manila and Boracay, which at that time was still a rather pristine piece of paradise. During a stopover in Bangkok, I fell in love with the City of Angels – the sounds, smells, colours, vibrant lifestyle, mystique and neverending intrigues.”

“After returning to Belgium, I found the streets empty, the sky too grey and life too dull...so I moved to Krungthep (the Thai name for Bangkok)  and never looked back. Asia inspires me so much and my colours really come to life here.”

If you were in love with Bangkok, what prompted the move from Bangkok to Siem Reap and when did you move studios?

“I originally found an old warehouse next to the Portuguese Embassy on the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok and turned it into my art studio, WARP 54. It became a well-known venue as we also organised events and used it as a platform for the arts. Eventually, the building owners saw the potential of the space and kicked me out cashing in on what we had built up. From there, I established a new studio near Sathorn in a smaller but interesting, old cinematic storage place.”

“When my partner found a piece of land in Siem Reap, however, next to an 11th-century Angkorian temple tucked away in the jungle, I didn't think twice. I had always wanted to build my own workspace and Siem Reap is becoming a prime destination in Southeast Asia with a lot of potential.”

“There’s an intimate but thriving art scene, a variety of hotels and restaurants, great events and wonderful art tours. In general, people travelling to Siem Reap are interested in art and culture. For a small town, it's a surprisingly cosmopolitan place.”

“That said, my love story with Bangkok will never end. I still have a condo in the city and consider it my hometown so I tend to commute between the two having the best of two worlds - the vibrancy of the big city (I get all my art supplies and still enjoy my social life there) and the charm of working in the shadows of Angkor.”

Moving on to more of your art, why are you drawn to portraiture?

“Probably because of my background in fashion, sketching silhouettes and the fact that you can add a lot of emotion in a portrait that is looking right at you. I like the intensity and ability to create some form of communication between my paintings and the onlooker.”

What is your process to begin a new painting and maintain a consistent aesthetic?

“I always start with a sketch either on paper or directly on the canvas, composition and a colour scheme. I’m always working on several pieces at the same time so each one is usually a stepping stone to the next, regardless of the subject matter, maintaining some sort of consistency if you’d like to call it that way.”

Your long-running Chin Urban and Tribal Series is probably you’re most recognised. Why have you continued with it since your first travels to Myanmar’s Chin State in 2012?

“I’ve found enormous joy working on these series of contemporary Asian female faces painted with traditional Chin tribal face tattoos. People are continually intrigued by the story of these tattooed Chin women and I’ve received interesting feedback from fellow travellers, journalists and even anthropologists on the subject matter. It’s now easier to visit the Chin State and gather more information on tattoo designs that I didn't paint earlier. I don't have the feeling I’m done with this although I’m also working on different series at the moment, such as my Korean special forces portraits, which are rather a different subject I’d say.”

Source: christiandevelter.com

Where to Find Christian Develter

Awei Metta, Yangon – The newly opened Awei Metta is featuring Develter’s latest series of ‘Chin Ladies’ lithographs as well as few of his large pieces on consignment in the city where the whole story started.

Belmond La Residence, Siem Reap – Develter’s brand new cigar-themed lithograph collection is available for viewing at the elegant Belmond La Residence in collaboration with One Eleven Gallery and The Pacific Cigar Group.

River City, Bangkok – In March, Develter will kick off a pop-up Develter Gallery collab with his Singaporean gallery, The Frame Society, in Bangkok’s River City shopping complex along the Chao Phraya River. The second floor of the centre has been transformed this year into a contemporary art venue with both public and private galleries promising to be Bangkok’s new, up and coming Contemporary Art Centre.

For more on Christian contact: christiandevelter.com