CARLL CNEUT
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“PINNACLE OF IMAGINATIVE ART”
Who is Carll Cneut?
That sounds like a silly question, because books with his illustrations have been sold all over the world.
We are proud to organize a solo show this summer (2025) with original artworks of this talented artist at our gallery in Durbuy, Belgium.
Actually, you should pose the question “who is?” differently.
“Is Cneut one of the most famous llustrators of the world at the moment?”
Then I can just give you the following answer: Yes he is!
Carll Cneut is widely regarded as one of the most prominent illustrators in the world today and his work has gathered significant international acclaim.
His illustrations have been published in over 45 countries and have been translated into more than 30 languages. The reach of his published books is hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people.
Carll Cneut has been nominated multiple times for the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Award – including being a finalist in 2010 – and the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award.
Since 2010 Cneut evolved also as an autonomous painter, working in a multi-layered technique from dark to light, painting, removing and repainting. Reality, perspective and scale disappear to the background to leave space for imagination, tension and constriction. By implementing many intricate details, his works evoke a sense of warmth and history.
Cneut is often considered as a true colorist, referring to the depth of colors in his paintings. The colors, you see in reality, are generally not the colors that Cneut actually painted. For example, a painted yellow feather is the result of different layers on top of each other, using oranges, hue reds and dark browns.
His works have been exhibited in lots of countries, amongst others, France, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands. He was recently featured in a group show with famous artists as Fred Bervoets, David Hockney, Ben Sledsens, Tom Liekens and many others.
In 2014 a retrospective exhibition with his works titled “In my head” took place in the Saint Peter’s Abbey in Ghent and attracted 50.000 visitors. He then received the Flemish Culture Prize for Literature (2014–2015), marking the first time this award was bestowed upon an illustrator for his Artistic Style and Impact.
Nowadays Cneut is also a professor at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Gent.
His work has been described as “a pinnacle of imaginative art in every sense of the word” effectively blurring the lines between text and illustration.
In summary, Carll Cneut’s extensive international recognition, numerous prestigious awards, and unique artistic style firmly establish him as one of the leading artists in the world today.
Patrick Mulders (Louise Gallery, Durbuy Belgium)
images © CARLL CNEUT
CV:
Notable Awards:
throughout his carreer, Cneut has received numerous accolades
Boekenpauw, Belgium (awarded 2000, 2004)
Boekenpluim , Belgium ( awarded 2002, 2009, 2010, 2015)
Zilveren Penseel ( Silver brush, Netherlands) (awarded 2003, 2010, 2020)
Gouden Uil, Belgium (awarded 2009)
Woutertje Pieterseprijs, Netherlands (awarded 2009)
Bologna Ragazzi Award, Italy ( honorable mention 2001)
Prix Octognes, France (awarded 2002, 2003)
White Raven (International youth library, Munich), Germany (awarded 2000, 2004, 2009)
Prijs letterkunde van de provincie West-vlaanderen, Belgium (awarded 2017)
Eselsohr, Germany (awarded 2003)
Flemish Culture Prize for Literature (2014–2015)
