Daily life is the basis for Elke Matthijs’ bronzes. Women in relationship to their self and their environment often occupy centre stage. Banal situations seized from everyday life are isolated in Matthijs’ bronzes, lifted from their context and frozen in time. This invites the viewer to revalue the beauty of everyday life and to view it differently. The way Matthijs expresses these moments in bronze also emphasizes the significance of the moment; meticulously carved, as if literally lifted from reality. The scenes Matthijs chooses have in common that they are spontaneous and express true feelings. The artist wants to put the emphasis on the spontaneous feelings that can arise in inconspicuous situations, because in her eyes, it is exactly at these moments that a deeper relationship is manifested with ourselves, fellow-man and nature. Moreover, because the feelings are usually recognized immediately by the viewer, her sculptures touch the spectator instantaneously.
Education: College Sint-Lukas, Brussels, Belgium
