André Engels, Abstract Painting, Mixed Media On Paper, 1964

This oil on paper by André Engels belongs to the tradition of European lyrical and gestural abstraction. Created in 1964, it presents superimposed planes and textures, evoking certain works by Pierre Soulages through the depth and expressive force of the brushstrokes. The layers and impasto also recall the work of Hans Hartung for its linear dynamism and that of Jean-Paul Riopelle for its pictorial density and free-flowing gestures. The textured, almost sculptural areas may recall certain abstract periods of Zao Wou-Ki, where movement becomes language and rhythm.

The painting is distinguished by its gestural energy, where brushstrokes and fluid movements breathe a particular life into the surface by playing with light, relief, and materials, creating areas of shadow and light that accentuate the depth and dynamism of the composition.

Framed under glass (dimensions: 104 × 73 cm). Excellent condition.

Provenance: The work comes from the private collection of Lola and Vito, with close collecting ties to Géo de Vlaminck.

Biography: Guels (pseudonym of André Engels, born in 1940) is a Belgian painter, active from the 1960s. Trained at the Brussels Academy, he is largely self-taught in painting. He began his career in a style of lyrical abstraction, during which he signed his works with the pseudonym Guels. Subsequently, his work evolved towards a more abstract, politically engaged figuration, notably denouncing pollution and the excesses of consumer society.

Engels developed a marked taste for pictorial experimentation very early on. His approach to painting is characterized by gestural freedom and a constant search for expression through matter and color. Influenced by the major currents of 20th-century European abstraction, he established a personal language in which textures, layers, and chromatic nuances interact with controlled intensity. He also created landscapes and poetic compositions in gouache, characterized by formal simplification and the use of simple colored surfaces.

Alongside his artistic pursuits, he worked as a decorator, advertising designer, and graphic artist. André Engels was a friend of the artists Aubin Pasque and Marti. It is mentioned in BAS II as well as in Two centuries of signatures of Belgian artists.