Since 2018, Belgian artist Antoine Roegiers has been crafting an ever-evolving story through his ongoing series of oil paintings. His non-linear, visual narratives delve into the absurdities of modern life, portraying a world where nature reclaims its space through catastrophic forest fires.
Roegiers’ surreal, apocalyptic scenes come alive through his signature motifs: fire, stray dogs, masks, crows, and dense forests. Each painting captures a haunting blend of horror and serenity, depicting a world where life endures amidst fiery destruction. In some works, hybrid figures—half-man, half-beast—emerge, seemingly dancing and commanding the flames, adding to the otherworldly chaos.
In his latest works, Roegiers introduces trumpet-playing masked figures, representing the “grotesque resurgence of humanity.” Roegiers tells My Modern Met, “These figures, evocative of James Ensor’s eerie musicians, blind to the world’s deteriorating state.” He also paints eclipses in the bleak, gray skies, which he says serve “as a reminder of our insignificance, mere specks of confetti in the vast expanse of the universe.”
In one particular painting, Roegiers paints himself into the scene, laying on the fire-scorched ground. “I wanted to reintroduce people into my story to express my own despair at the madness of society, the helplessness that often engulfs us,” Roegiers explains. “In La mélancolie du déserteur— a self-portrait—I depict a disoriented figure, unsure of how to handle the boldness of his departure from the collective.”
Roegiers recently showcased his work for the first time at The Great Parade exhibition, which was on view at Galerie Templon in Paris.
Belgian artist Antoine Roegiers tells a surreal, evolving story through his ongoing series of oil paintings.
He explores the absurdities of modern life in a world where nature fights back with devastating forest fires.
In some works, hybrid figures—half-man, half-beast—emerge, seemingly dancing and commanding the flames, adding to the otherworldly chaos.
Dogs and masks are common motifs in Roegiers's work, provoking reflection on the contemporary world.
In this piece, Roegiers represents his own feelings of helplessness by painting himself into the scene, laying on the fire-scorched ground.
In other works, Roegiers introduces trumpet-playing masked figures, representing the “grotesque resurgence of humanity.”
Each painting captures a haunting blend of horror and serenity, depicting a world where life endures amidst fiery destruction.
