Carole Vanderlinden

Vanderlinden’s paintings on canvas and works on paper are difficult to define. They appear simple and compact, yet are highly layered. They emerge from an unplanned, exploratory process of continuous experimentation with paint, colour and rhythm, resulting in compositions that can convey a multitude of meanings. To this end, Vanderlinden gathers preparatory material from her everyday surroundings, philosophy, music, and her sketchbooks. She associates these with chance, art historical references, avant-garde movements, abstract patterns, and more.

Carole Vanderlinden’s (b. 1973, Brussels) artistic practice, which she has been developing since the mid-1990s, is primarily focused on painting but also encompasses drawing, watercolour, collage and small objects. Vanderlinden discovered art as a child and has been immersed in it ever since. Overwhelmed by what is going on in the world around her, she uses painting as a tool through which to understand reality, with all its complex human relationships, and as a way of entering into dialogue with the viewer.

In May 2026, the first comprehensive monograph on the work of Carole Vanderlinden will be published. The publication brings together an extensive selection of works from the past twenty-five years and features contributions by writer Jean-Philippe Toussaint, musician Joëlle Léandre, curators Ory Dessau and Ann Hoste, and art critic Hans den Hartog Jager. The book is published by Zolo Press and was produced with the support of S.M.A.K. and Karma, New York.