Marleen Van Duyse (Belgium, 1968) is a versatile artist whose work cannot be described under a single category.
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She graduated as a fashion and costume designer for theatre from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp. In Belgium, she founded her studio where she experimented with ceramics and textiles. Dedicating herself to doll art, winning significant awards, including the Dolce Award in 2001 and the René Rylant Award in 2002.
Her unique textile techniques and theatrical background brought her considerable recognition in the international doll world, with exhibitions in America, Moscow, the Netherlands, and Germany.
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In 2005 Marleen opened her contemporary art gallery in Antwerp: Galerie Van Duyse. Showcasing various artists from the ZERO movement and served as a platform for both emerging and internationally renowned artists. It became a meeting place for collectors and art enthusiasts, characterized by grandeur and talent.
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Currently, Marleen Van Duyse lives and works on the Costa Brava in Spain, dedicating herself entirely to painting.​ Her style can be described as lyrical expressive. The use of colour is overwhelming and passionate, with powerful lines and occasional dripping techniques, as if rain falls like tears over the canvas. Her work evokes a melancholy of misty landscapes and waterbodies, reflecting life, sorrow and hope, death and new life. It is an imaginary world, a glorification of a still moment, a dream.
