The Architecture of Surface

Born in 1957, Henri Jacobs has spent four decades navigating the tension between the flat canvas and the depth of human perception. Since moving to Brussels in 1993, his practice has expanded far beyond the traditional boundaries of painting. He treats the medium not as a window to look through, but as a physical object to be interrogated. His work often explores the concept of the recto-verso, where the back of a canvas is as vital as the front, creating a dialogue between what is seen and what is hidden.

His early years were defined by a preoccupation with complex, mazelike interior spaces. These compositions were often crowded with words and figures, creating a sense of dense, psychological labyrinths. As his career progressed, this density gave way to a more structural austerity. He began to favor the grid, using it to organize space and contrast with the more fluid, unpredictable elements of his compositions.

Materiality and Form

Jacobs’s technical approach is characterized by a restless experimentation with material. He does not limit himself to a single medium, instead seeking out surfaces that allow for physical manipulation. His investigations into two-dimensionality have led him to work with a diverse array of materials and techniques:

• Plaited paintings where paper is woven to merge figurative and geometric forms.
• Ceramics and wall hangings that emphasize texture and structural integrity.
• Mosaics executed in brick and cobblestone for large-scale public spaces.
• Ink and watercolor used in his continuous series of drawings.

This material curiosity is perhaps most evident in his Surface Research project. Through this investigation, he has explored how color can bleed through perforations in a canvas, turning the act of wounding the material into a method of creation. In works like La redemption (1991–95), the canvas is both pierced and repaired, suggesting a cycle of damage and healing through the very fabric of the art itself.

The Journal of Form

Since 2003, Jacobs has maintained a disciplined, ongoing practice under the name Journal Drawings. These works represent a constant process of reinvention, moving between abstract calligraphic patterns and stylized architectural forms. They are often highly accurate yet maintain a sense of playfulness, frequently referencing the formal languages of art history.

His ability to balance the illusion of space with the reality of the material surface remains a central theme. Whether through the use of mirrors that reflect the viewer's environment or glass inserts that reveal the wall behind a painting, Jacobs forces a confrontation with the physical reality of the object. He remains an artist preoccupied with the contradictions of the plane, seeking to understand how a flat surface can hold both a void and a presence.