Biography

Jan Verbruggen
°1980 (B)
lives and works in Brussels and Grimbergen, Belgium

I make paintings, drawings, and installations. Much of my drive comes from searching—for a sense of orientation, a foothold in the world around me. I often think of my work as cartography: like a mapmaker, I live daily in a changing place and atmosphere, using tools and visual cues to find structure and direction. Over the years, the different studios I have worked in—and the communities I have shared them with—have supported this search, offering both space and dialogue.

My paintings imagine landscapes seen from above, opening perspective and disorienting the viewer. Wandering figures move across these terrains, sharing the journey with the spectator or immersing themselves in the scene. Every brushstroke is a point of orientation, revealing detail, structure, and the shifting nature of the environment. The overarching aim of my work has always been communication: to approach others, to create dialogue, and to share the search for structure and connection with those around me.

From November 2024 to January 2026, I had the opportunity to use a vacant building. Under the name Hipotetis, I offered artists, makers, and thinkers a free space to work. We organized monthly open studios, creating a place for exchange, dialogue, and shared practice. This experience reinforced my belief in the importance of community and the collaborative search for orientation that also informs my own artistic work.

I hold a Master in Visual Arts–Fine Arts from LUCA School of Arts, Brussels. For several years, I served as chairman of W-O-L-K-E, an artist-run initiative creating innovative spaces for artistic encounters. My work has been exhibited at BOZAR (Brussels), Bellevue Museum (Brussels), Galerie Fortlaan 17 (Ghent), SecondRoom (Antwerp & Brussels), Somos Art (Berlin), DOM (Brussels), Positions Art Fair Berlin, Art Rotterdam, and Eva Steynen.Deviation(s).

I also teach painting at RHoK Academie (Rijks Hoger Onderwijs voor Kunst) in Brussels.