Mattias De Leeuw BE, b. 1989

Lives and works in Antwerp

The paintings of Mattias De Leeuw (1989) explore the intimacy of everyday life. Within his work warmth and tenderness flow quietly, connecting one scene to the next, moments suspended between presence and imagination.

From that first encounter, imagination takes over, shaping a scene that exists somewhere between reality and invention, observation and memory. Each painting begins with a search for a face or a person in whom De Leeuw recognizes something familiar: a trace of vulnerability, an emotion that feels close.

For him, painting is a vulnerable act of being, embracing a spontaneous energy that is both honest and vibrant. Traces of each moment remain visible, forming the pulse of the image. Working with vivid colours from acrylic, oil sticks, and oil paint on paper, De Leeuw’s brushstrokes are painted directly and instinctively.

As a Belgian artist based in Antwerp, De Leeuw graduated in Fine Arts at St. Lucas Antwerp. His practice bridges drawing, painting, and observation, forming a continuous search for connection, vulnerability, and the quiet, intimate moments that make us human. His work has received multiple awards, including the Gulden Palet (Netherlands), and has been exhibited internationally, including at The Original Art Exhibition (New York) and Philippe Labaune Gallery (New York).