Biography

1921

Born on July 27th in Delft in Holland, son of Abraham van den Boogaart, blacksmith, and Cornelia Stichter. He has a brother called Geer.

1931

He draws things he finds in newspapers and magazines.

1932

He decides to become a painter and, with his mother, buys paint and brushes. He paints his first picture: a vase of violets.

1933

Without giving up what he believes is his vocation, he takes a course (of his own free will) at the technical school of arts and professions where he learns the trade of painter and decorator. Later, he will admit that this training was not a waste of time, especially in the domain of materials.

1935

His father finances a two year correspondence course in drawing. He works every evening of the week and all day Sunday, but does not find it easy.

1937

He leaves the technical school and begins work as a painter and decorator. A year later, he finds work in the Leo Mineur workshop in Rotterdam, where they make calicos for cinemas.

1939

His painting career begins. He devotes himself completely to painting and offers his first works to Bennewitz, gallery owner in The Hague, who accepts his work favourably and organizes some exhibitions. Thanks to him, Bram can make a living from his painting.

1940

He is now under the combined influence of Van Gogh and Permeke. The strokes are large and spontaneous.

1943

Thanks to an excuse recognized by the occupying forces, he succeeds in escaping « forced work » in Germany during the war by enrolling at the Art School in The Hague. There he learns the mastery of forms.

1944

He is living in clandestinity in Delft, but carries on painting.

1946

He hitch-hikes to Paris where he rents a maid’s room from which he can see the Eiffel Tower. He paints many parts of the town, but he also studies at the Louvre and at the free academy « La grande chaumière »

1947

He becomes sick and must return to Delft where he is hospitalised for two months. He rents a studio on the Houtmarkt (wood market) in The Hague but returns to France in the autumn. This time he goes to the south of the country and there he does a lot of drawing.

1948

In January, he goes back to The Hague.

In May, he leaves again for Paris with his friend Martin Visser where he visits exhibitions by Geer and Bram Van Velde. During the months of July and August, he goes down to the south of France where he devotes himself to studying landscapes: he prolongs his previous research into the horizontal, that which is flat and also restful. The skies have no clouds…

In September, he goes back to Paris and, in October, on to The Hague where, up till May 1949, he paints a series of canvases based on geometric abstraction.

1949

He spends most of his time in the south of France. He settles in Antibes and works out of doors on landscapes. Applying the paint straight from the tubes, he elaborates a kind of system that gives the colours autonomy. This procedure will have noticeable effects on the unfolding future work. His works become more abstract dominated by a play on lines.

1950

After a visit to Holland, he goes to live in Le Cannet where a cellar is his studio. He paints around fifty pieces, experimenting for the first time with mixtures of oil and water paints. He is no longer satisfied with the violence of red and blue; he begins a series of paintings inspired by the buildings of Grimaldi and certain others of the same era, striving to give his canvases the chalky, cement-like aspect of these buildings.

Some of these canvases are shown in the Martin Cruson gallery in Cannes in September.

Some objects of African art are stored in the cellar where he works and they have a clear influence on his work as much by their colours as by the atmosphere they create. He does a few still-lives, but especially introduces signs, crosses, circles, squares as well as the writing and play on lines that has characterised his work since 1948.

1951

In January, he returns to Delft where the Lambert Van Meerten museum offers him an exhibition.

In April, he exhibits his canvases with the signs at the Bennewitz gallery in The Hague. In May, he returns to the Cannet with the intention of going on to Pompei. While bathing in the sea, he is bitten on the leg by a jellyfish; the wound gets infected and he is forced to cancel his trip to Italy. Back in Paris, he co-rents a studio in Rue Santeuil with the American sculptor Rocco.

They separate the space with walls of wicker and plaster. This building in the Halle-aux-Cuirs is used by numerous artists.

1952

Once installed, he gets back to work in the spirit of the signs and tries unsuccessfully to make contact with the Parisian galleries. Life is hard and to be able to carry on working, he sometimes paints over works, which seem at the time to be less successful, but it’s against his nature. By the middle of 1952 he is signing his work Bram Bogart.

1953

His work goes through a kind of liberation: the drawing gets bigger and the writing, more ample, invading the whole space; he enters into a true expressionist phase. The Creuze gallery shows some interest for his work and organizes a first exhibition. He meets Steef De Vries, lover of Dutch art, who supports him from now on. He meets the painter Bengt Lindström and strikes up a friendship with him.

1954

The matter gets thicker and the colours darken. He does numerous black and white monochromes. The writing, however, remains the same, whether it be worked into the

matter or by touches of more liquid paint, thinned down with turpentine.

1955

In February, he holds a big private exhibition in the Creuze gallery in Paris, in the Balzac room. Over a hundred canvases are presented. He goes to Frankfurt for an exhibition organized by the Franck gallery. Here, he meets Michel Seuphor. Along with the painter Karl Otto Götz, who lives in this town and who he had met at the Creuze gallery, he visits an exhibition of contemporary American art and he particularly admires the work of the sculptor Roszak.

1956

He enters into a relationship with the Gimpel Sons gallery in London. The two brothers buy several canvases. He takes part in the New Reatlities Salon for the first time. The horizontal line is back in the centre of his work, it separates the painting into two stretches of colour.

1957

Viseux and Réquichot introduce him to the gallery owner Daniel Cordier, who purchases several canvases.

Once again, he takes part in the New Realities Salon.

Lawrence Mendes, a young Australian dealer, comes to visit his studio with Sam Francis. The painter Jan Schoonhoven, a friend from Delft, visits him a number of times.

1958

Through his friend Gianni Bertini, the Italian painter, he meets Jean Dypréau, the Belgian art critic, in Paris and Serge Vandercam, a painter from Brussels. This brings him to exhibit for the first time in Brussels, in the Carabin gallery. Harry Shunk and Kender begin a series of photos, work, which is still ongoing…

Jean Miotte, a French painter, organises an exhibition of Parisian painters in the L’Attico gallery in Rome.

Bruno Sargnetini, the director of the L’Attico gallery in Rome, comes to see him in Paris, accompanied by Rudolf Augustenci of the Rive Gauche gallery in Paris and purchases several canvases. In his studio in Paris, in late September, he meets his compatriot and future partner, Abelina Sjoukje Vos,

known as Leni

, born on the 4

^{th October 1936 in Eindhoven, Holland.}

1959

The dealer, J.P. Wilhelm visits him and organizes a private exhibition in his gallery in Düsseldorf, with the help of Manfred de la Motte.

Lucio Fontana visits him in his studio and proposes an exchange with one of his works.

He exposes in the Boymans Van Beuningen museum in Rotterdam, under the patronage of Kunstkring. Robert Giron will subsequently take this exhibition to the Beaux-Arts in Brussels.

In the autumn, he leaves with his partner Leni for Rome where they stay in an apartment on the Piazza Volsinio. He finds a studio there and paints a dozen canvases for the L’Attico gallery. He frequents the Rosati café where he meets a number of Italian and German artists and his compatriot, the American painter Willem de Kooning. Just like himself, this artist, who will become American, is deeply hostile to the cultural policy of the Dutch museums. He creates a technique of regular strokes crossing the whole surface of the canvas. Peter Cochrane of the Arthur Tooth gallery in London comes to buy several white monochromes.

1960

He would like to go to live in New York, but Jean Dypréau persuades him to go to Brussels, where he can work in his father’s house in Rue du Méridien.

He settles in Rue du Méridien and continues in the spirit of what he had discovered in

Rome. The painters Van Anderlecht and Jef Verheyen come to visit him and they introduce him to the dealer and collector Hans Leichti, who, among others, buys his Flore-Bouquet (1960). He holds a personal exhibition at Maurice D’Arquian at the Helios Art gallery. After passing through Paris, he returns to Rome where he works in a garage situated in a backyard. He works there until November, then, he rents a large apartment in Brussels, Rue Bodenbroek (Place du Grand Sablon). He has an exhibition in the Apollinaire de Milan gallery and another at Hans Liechti’s in Switzerland.

1961

After setting up his studio in Rue Bodenbroek, he recommences painting in March: the canvases get bigger and the colours get denser and brighter and the matter gets ever thicker. The jute canvases are now too light: he stretches a canvas on a panel and paints “To Lawrence”. He makes this reinforced support his choice from now on to allow him to thicken more and more the matter of his works. A small group of Belgian collectors, advised by Jean Dypréau, who had already written several prefaces for him, become enthusiastic about his painting. Karel Geirlandt invites him to take part in a big exhibition, Forum 61, in Ghent. He returns to Rome to work accompanied by Jean Dypréau, passing through Zurich to visit Zoltan Kemeny and Milan to visit Lucio Fontana where they make a short film.

In Rome, Bruno Sargentini gets panels made especially for him and thanks to pigments of excellent quality, he can work with mixtures he makes as the work progresses.

In Paris, the Halle-aux-cuirs building, which had accommodated so many artists, is destroyed. It is Bram Bogart who had used it the most.

1962

On February 14th, he marries Abelina Sjoukje Vos, Leni in the Town Hall in Brussels. Jean Dypréau and Jeannot Van Anderlecht are their witnesses.

He exhibits at Gérard Moneijn in the Zodiac gallery in Brussels: the work “De Gelen” (The Yellows) is bought for the National Museum of Modern Art by the intermediary Francine-Claire Legrand. Philippe Dotremont and Madeleine Everaert buy several canvases.

Thanks to Bengt Lindström, who he has known since 1953, he begins a relationship with Ingemar Tunander, director of the Sundsvall Museum in Sweden. He starts exhibiting in Sweden, makes the acquaintance of Niels and Ruth Franzen at Sundsvall as well as Kjell Wikner in Rörstrôm. Pierre Janlet and his wife give great support to Bram’s work.

The size and weight of his works never stop growing, and working on the first floor causes him serious problems.

1963

Exhibition at Pierre Janlet’s in the Aujourd’hui gallery. He creates a series of large canvases, which he baptises “The Bodenbroek period”. After painting “Bodenbroek 63″, the last of this group, he moves to Ohain, in the French speaking province of Brabant Wallon. He meets Viking Svensson in Göteborg.

1964

January 15th: birth of his daughter Cornelia.

He paints twenty-four large canvases, which will be exhibited in the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels by Robert Giron.

The work “Lokland” (1963) is part of the Guggenheim exhibition in New York.

Father Nieuwenhuys Segaar organizes an exhibition in his gallery, Nova Spectra, in The Hague, in Holland.

1965

The emptiness of the manor in Ohain, so different from the atmosphere of Rue Bodenbroek, has a striking influence on his work. His painting becomes less thick and the signs of the early fifties reappear. The sign is often solitary: it is a circle, a cross, a square, a horizontal or

vertical movement, which covers the entire canvas. He often gets visits from the collectors Ernest and Micheline Delville, who live nearby.

He is winner of the Belgian Critic’s prize in 1963-64 at the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Charleroi. He starts working with Marcel Stal, who has been supporting him for several years.

1966

He leaves again for Sweden to exhibit at the Gävle museum and the Bleus gallery in Stockholm.

He travels to Denmark where he exhibits at the Westing gallery, organized by Lia and Théo Derviniotis.

1967

Birth of his daughter Inge on January 5th.

Private exhibition in the Konsthallen in Göteborg, where he stays with his friend Viking Svensson, the painter. Bennewitz organizes an exhibition in the Schiedam museum in Holland. Bram’s paintings and the furniture of Emiel Veranneman, blue and white, are exhibited in the new Veranneman gallery in Brussels. Another private exhibition takes place in the Konsthall De Lund in Sweden.

1969

He takes Belgian nationality.

He receives the Europa prize for painting in Ostende.

His painting, between 1965 and 1970, is influenced by children’s games (“Speelblokken”, “Blokkenplaat”, “ConeliaIngespel”…) and by the different journeys that he makes to the north of Sweden, where numerous exhibitions of his work take place. Bennewitz puts together an exhibition in the Lakenhal museum in Leiden in Holland.

1970

He takes part in the Venise Biennial at the Belgian Pavilion. Luchino Visconti buys his canvas “Noir-Bleu”. He exhibits at Bruno Sargentini’s in Rome at the Senior gallery.

1971

Birth of his son Bram, on April 5th.

Private exhibition at Cora De Vries’s, at the Collection D’art gallery, Amsterdam.

He leaves for Switzerland and has an exhibition at Hans Liechti’s in soleure, then at the Anne-Marie Verna gallery in Zurich and at Kasper’s in Morges.

1972

His work undergoes a deep mutation: the matter is not only applied to the canvas in a much more direct and playful manner, but it even extends beyond the frame and gives his works a positively baroque feel. He exhibits in company of Vic Gentils in the Badischer Kunstverein in Karlsruhe in Germany.

1973

He exhibits his last five years of work in the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels.

From this, a catalogue is published with an interview by Yves Gevaert. A private exhibition is presented at the Kunstmesse in Düsseldorf with Lens Fine Art from Antwerp, directed by Arsen Pohribny.

1974

Due to a new thickening of the matter, he modifies the supports, consolidating the frames with metal bars to enable hanging.

He makes the acquaintance of Arsen Pohribny who comes to visit his studio in Ohain.

He goes too Milan with his family to exhibit in the Carlo Grossetti gallery, Salone Annunciata.

He presents two large paintings at the Bruges triennial, organized by W.V.D. Bussche.

A big exhibition is organized in the Lens Fine Art D’Antwerp gallery, directed by Francis Smets.

1975

Exhibition in the Collection D’art gallery, in Amsterdam, at Cora De Vries’s.

1976

Big exhibition at the Stichting De Emiel Veranneman, Kruishoutem, Belgium.

First exhibition at Jacques Pleijers’s, in Lasne, at the Inter Art Gallery.

1977

He exhibits in Bonn at the Marianne Hennemann gallery. At this time, she is editing the monograph which Manfred de la Motte has just written. This book also includes the most important critical texts written about him. The same exhibition will take place in Berlin at Georg Nothelfer’s then at Forum Kunst in Rottweil in Germany.

His friend Tuur Deglas introduces him to Aimé Proost with whom he will work in Kessel in Belgium where they organize an exhibition at the Dobbelhoef.

1978

A large retrospective exhibition takes place in the Alexandra Monett gallery in Brussels.

1980

He has a big exhibition in the Nouvelles Images gallery in The Hague.

A private exhibition is presented at the Basel fair by Aimé Proost of the Dobbelhoef.

1981

The Veranneman Foundation organizes a retrospective (1950-1981) which is presented in the casino in Knokke. He stays on the coast for two months with his family.

1982

The gallery owner Fabien De Cugnac shows “Le Fou” in his new gallery in Brussels.

1984

Retrospective (1950-1983) in the Boymans-van Beuningen museum in Rotterdam, organized by Wim Beeren. The same retrospective is presented by Jan Hoet at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Ghent. Jan Hoet compiles the catalogue of the exhibition.

Retrospective at the Prinsenhof museum in Delft with “Les Bleus de Delft”. The museum exhibits, among the blue-white works, the canvas entitled “Prinsenhof” (1963). He meets Willy D’Huysser, who presents three of his big paintings at the Antiquaries fair in Brussels at the Palais des Beaux Arts.

In July, he buys an old paper factory in the heart of Brussels. The building, which dates from 1928, seems to suit being transformed into a studio. He creates three etchings in colour for Benjamin Hamburski. His first prints in relief are made by Claude Manesse.

1986

Yvan Lechien, of the Cogeime gallery in Brussels organizes a private exhibition for him at the FIAC in the Grand Palais in Paris.

1987

He leaves Ohain and settles in Brussels. He is awarded the Jules Raeymakers prize for colour by the Royal Academy of Belgium.

On May 13th, just when his new studio is almost finished, during repair work to the lift involving some welding, sparks fall on some bags of pigments and a fire starts. Smoke particles adhere to the walls and penetrate the whole house. Only a few canvases are completely destroyed. This catastrophe interrupts his creative work until July 1988.

Thomas Neirinck gives him his support. He makes the acquaintance of the English merchant David Hughes.

A private exhibition is presented in the Classic I in Courtrai by Willy D’Huysser.

1988

The Lannoo printers in Tielt edit the first big monograph called Bram Bogart or faithfulness: the text has been written by Francine-Claire Legrand and the book directed by Luc De Meester.

The Willy D’Huysser gallery exhibits a one-man-show at the International Fair of Contemporary Art in Ghent (Lineart). He meets Marcel Paquet.

Through Willy D’Huysser, he finds a big house in Kortenbos, in the Limbourg province of Belgium.

A Retrospective is held in the Mayor gallery in London, prefaced by Otto Hahn.

1989

David Hughes writes and edits a Bram Bogart catalogue – The Early Works 1951-1965 Paris-Rome-Brussels: the reproduced works are exhibited in Frankfurt and Barcelona.

La Différence editions publish, in The Other Museum collection, an essay by Marcel Paquet, “Bram Bogart or the powers of matter”. For the circumstance, the engraver Bernard Pras develops an engraving technique called “aquagravure”.

He has an exhibition in the Protée gallery in Paris where he shows “Monsieur Vollard’s parrot”.

The catalogue is compiled by Marcel Paquet.

1990

Mrs. Petra Reed organizes an exhibition of his canvases in the André Emmerich gallery in New York where he goes for the first time. In April, some aquagravures are presented by Art Multi at the SAGA in Paris and at the faire in Basel in June.

The La Différence editions in Paris, directed by Joachim Vital, publish an important monograph on Bram Bogart with a text by Marcel Paquet in the Mains et Merveilles collection.

David Hughes presents a private exhibition at the BIAF in Barcelona. A private exhibition is held in the Mayor gallery in London.

Marcel Paquet and Michel Van Loo make a film Bram Bogart, Window of Light, with original music by Jean-Philippe Duboscq (production : Opera Multi, Charleroi).

The Gian Carlo de Magistris gallery exhibits him in July at the Nice fair.

1991

In his new home in Kortenbos, he creates very large formats. Bram Bogart himself makes the reinforced frames, which must support the considerable weight of his works [up to 250 or 300kg].

For many years, he has been helped by his father and sometimes his brother, to make, transport and install his works. It is his son, Bram, who takes over.

Exhibition in Milan, in the San Carlo gallery. The catalogue’s preface is by Achille Bonito Oliva. Back to Paris with three private exhibitions: two at the FIAC and one at the Protée gallery. Publication of the catalogue prefaced by Pierre Cabanne “the Parisian period 1951-60″.

He creates his first multiple high relief in paper, made by Bernard Pras and Yveline Tropéa, initiators of this technique; this piece is part of the Bram Bogart library work “All around the visible”, text by Marcel Paquet.

Art Multi (Brussels) and the Interior Art Gallery (Bruges) organize an exhibition and concert in Bruges: “Homage to Bram Bogart”. Works by Pierre-Alain Volondat, “A transparency for Bogart” and by Christian Leroy, “All around the audible”, are played.

He takes part in the “Memory of freedom” exhibition about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with an aquagravure “De Liberheid” made by Art Multi, directed by Francis De Lille. The first presentation takes place in the Georges Pompidou Centre in Paris. He is received at the Elysée.

Kjell Wikner, of the 92 gallery, Ostersund, presents a private exhibition at the Sollentuna at the Art Fair in Stockholm. David Hughes presents him in a private exhibition at the Kensington Art Fair in London.

1992

Liliane Thorn-Petit makes the film “Bram Bogart” for the series Portrait of an artist, transmitted by RTL-TVI in February. France Mexique Cinema makes “Bram Bogart-Kortenbos” on music by Christian Leroy.

He designs two carpets for the Art Surface collection of Sedcome-Paris and he creates “Bouquet final”, painting which symbolizes artistic Europe.

Silvana Massano organizes a retrospective at the Le Botanique Cultural Centre in Brussels. Jacques Meuris compiles the catalogue.

He presents a private exhibition in Toulouse at the Potrée gallery.

1993

The Potrée gallery exhibits the water-colours of 1950-1952 in Paris.

He participates, with 14 paintings from 1951-63, in an exhibition conceived in an international perspective, “Masters of matter”, at the Dutch museum of ‘S-Hertogenbosch. The exhibition is directed

by Marike Van Der Knaap and Rick Vercauteren.

He goes to Basel to visit the Art Fair where the Mayor /David Hughes gallery of London has organized a “One man show” for him.

In October, in their Reflex Modern Art Gallery in Amsterdam, Lex Daniels organizes a fine presentation of his recent works and accompanies them with a catalogue prefaced by H.V.D. Louw.

1994

Petra Reed organizes an exhibition “Das Licht und die Materie” in Cologne where professor Frank Günter gives a talk on Bram Bogart.

He creates a number of important new paintings for two exhibitions planned for 1995: he leaves for France, to Châteauroux, to exhibit 19 large formats at the Cordeliers museum where he shares the space with his friend Bengt Lindström.

He leaves again with his wife for New York to be present at the preview of his exhibition at the Avanti Galleries, entitled “Size, Shape and Color”. The text in the catalogue is written by Gérard Haggerty.

He also prepares two large sculptures, 16 metres high, destined to be placed in front of the VSB bank in Utrecht, Holland.

1995

From June to September, the Modern Art Museum of Ostend presents the biggest exhibition ever devoted to Bram Bogart. For this occasion, an important catalogue is issued with an interview of Bram Bogart by the director of the museum, W.V.D. Bussche, thanks to which we can follow the painter’s evolution since the 1950’s, from Paris to Rome, then from Brussels to Ohain and on to Kortenbos.

1996

In early February, Bram Bogart leaves for Madrid for the first time and visits the great

museums. The Italia d’Alicante gallery organizes a private exhibition for him at the Arco in Madrid.

Willy Schoots from Eindhoven presents his works at the Frankfurt, Cannes and Cologne international fairs.

In Eindhoven itself, from June to August, the same gallery devotes an exhibition to him and a catalogue for which the preface by Rick Vercauteren of the ‘S-Hertogenbosch museum describes the period from 1988 to 1996, since his installation in Kortenbos.

In Paris, within the group exhibition “Great American Classics” and “New York Painting”, in the Gérard Piltzer gallery, Bram Bogart shows the painting “On attend la pluie” (We’re waiting for the rain).

In September, he goes to Brazil to Sao Paolo, where he attends the preview of his exhibition at the Pinacoteca Do Estado in Sao Paolo, introduced by Jens Olesen. Jan Hoet (Gand), Achille Bonito Oliva (Rome) and Parcel Paquet (Charleroi) compile the catalogue.

In October, in the FIAC in Paris, the Willy D’Huysser gallery from Brussels presents a private exhibition.

The Willy Schoots gallery goes to the Kunst RAI fair in Amsterdam with a private exhibition Bram Bogart as well as to Art Jonction in Cannes and to Art Cologne and in 1997 to Frankfurt.

A catalogue is published with a preface by Rick Vercauteren.

1997

Since his stay in 1970 for the biennial, Bram Bogart had not been back to the beautiful town of Venice. This year, he goes in March for the exhibition of Flemish and Dutch painting to which he is invited by Jan Hoet, at the Grassi palazzo. At the same time, at Silvana Miniardis’ gallery, Venice Design, Sam Samuel proposes an exhibition and a few weeks later, the preview takes place in an atmosphere typical of Venice. There, he creates the first Murano glass dishes edited by B. Hambursky.

Invited by the Anton Meier gallery in Geneva, he does a “One man show” at the international fair in Basel and the Athénée de Genève editions present the Marcel Paquet essay, “Bram Bogart and painting-painting”.

In Brussels, he receives the SABAM prize for plastic Art.

During the summer in Kortenbos – where he has his studio – he paints some large canvases like “Kurden, Heem”, “Diana’s Day”, … which will be exhibited at the Cologne fair by Willy Schoots.

In November, Hedwig Van Impe of the Cotthem Gallery in Barcelona organizes a retrospective exhibition. The merchant hangs the paintings on the walls, rather than on bases as they are usually presented. The exhibition is accompanied by a catalogue prefaced by Hedwig Van Impe and Remei Giralt. At the same time, he visits the museums with Hedwig Van Impe, as well as the cathedral and Guëll Park by Gaudi.

1998

In February, he goes to Portugal for the first time, to attend the preview of his exhibition at the Mario Sequeira Gallery in Braga. Bernardo Pinto de Almeida writes the preface to the catalogue. He visits Porto and the area.

The second volume of Bram Bogart is published by “La Différence”, Paris. This edition is

Celebrated at the Enrico Navarra gallery with recent canvases. Lex Daniels organizes the “Arman Meets Bogart” exhibition at the Reflex Modern Art Gallery in Amsterdam.

1999

A book, with works on paper, “signs of existence” is just out at the Schoots gallery in Eindhoven. Accompanied by a long retrospective, the text is written by Frank Gribling, a long-standing friend.

1999 is a year marked by some large exhibitions. He goes to his retrospective in l’Espace Muséal Bellevue in Biarritz, directed by Marcel Paquet, then to an exhibition of his large

paintings, entitled “Fête de la matière” in the Town Hall in Brussels. The same exhibition will go on to the Museum of Modern Art in Nice, France. The catalogue has been written by Jan Hoet and Gilbert Perlein. At the end of the year, a retrospective is presented at the Town Hall in Tours. He leaves for ten days in New York.

2000

He leaves again for New York with Leni, his wife, for an exhibition organized by Kenneth Moffett with the members of New New Painting in the Armory Show Building.

2001

He goes to Bangkok, Thailand, with many other Belgian artists to celebrate the exhibition in the Bangkok National Gallery, on February 14th. Today’s Belgium Painters and Sculptors. At the preview, he meets their royal highnesses Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde. A painting in the exhibition is called “Mathilde”.

2002

On January 5th, he goes back again to New York with Leni for his exhibition at the Malborough Chelsea Grand Gallery where he is showing especially two large paintings. Kenworth-Moffett has prefaced the catalogue. During their stay, they visit museums and galleries.

In May, he has an exhibition of recent works at the Guy Pieters gallery in Saint Paul of Vence. In the catalogue, there is a text by Jean Pierre Frimbois.

2003

He exhibits in Switzerland, in Zurich at the Proarte gallery.

In June, he back causes him problems, he can’t walk and has to be hospitalized several times. This is the result of years of working, day and night, pulling, mixing, carrying materials and ever heavier frames, working with thicker substances, always bent over his paintings laid on the floor. Bram takes a few days to prepare his reinforced frames, but his works are created in one go. It is only the following year, in August, that he stats up again, slowly, but very soon he is back into his relentless rhythm. He carries on doing a few exhibitions, notably at the Cologne fair with the Marianne Hennemann gallery, where he presents his large painting “Geelyellowjaune” May 2003, 277 x 235 cm.

2004

He is invited to take part in “Moi! Autoprotraits au 20e siècle” (Me! Self-portraits in the 20th century) in Paris, organized by Pascal Bonafoux. Then, at the “Galerie des Offices” in Florence, Italy. The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, in the town of Liège, organizes an exhibition with his recent works, directed by Françoise Safin and Martine Geerts.

The Monos Gallery in Liège has an exhibition and produces a video of an interview with Bram, Leni and their granddaughter Lina.

2005

He goes to Germany twice for the preview of his exhibition in the Kunsthalle in Recklinhausen. The accompanying catalogue “Bram Bogart Malerei 1950-2005″ has been written by Ferdinand Ulrich and Hans-Jurgen Schwalm.

He died in 2012