Profile
Contemporary artist, Patrick Gerola was born in 1959 in Brussels.
His mother was a painter and he was immersed in an artistic atmosphere from his earliest childhood. A student of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Brussels, he joined the ballet company l’Ensemble à ” Mudra ” for two years under the direction of choreographer Micha Van Hoecke, and director of Maurice Béjart’s school, as a scenographer.
In 1983, he discovered Japan. He established his studio there and very soon achieved great success.
Both continents inspire his “al fresco” technique. He makes his own paints. They are based on pure pigments, to which he adds a modern touch by mixing them with resin. This makes his pictures transparent, and gives them a very luminous character.
His work also reflects the generosity and sensitivity of the artist.
Patrick Gerola draws great inspiration from light and from nature. The artist can paint his pictures on an easel, but also produces monumental and parietal works. As he paints other subjects such as fields of beautifully coloured flowers, his body language turns into a form of dance. Under the influence of the music that accompanies him while painting, he slashes and sweeps patches saturated with paint around like a Zen gardener wielding a rake.
Artistic Painter from Brussels
Living and working in two very different cultures – the European and the 0riental – Patrick GEROLA continuously seeks to express the symbiotic Life Force that both cultures share.
The subtleness of the Japanese paintbrush, the richness of the light and the historic landscapes of Japan come together in his work with an abundance of the ambience of European art.
Education
Studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Brussels in the class of Marianne Dock and then collaborated with Micha Van Hoecke, Director of the ballet school of Maurice Béjart’s “Mudra” school and choreographer of the ballet “L’Ensemble” as a scenographer
Living and working in Japan
1983 Departure for Japan
1985 Artistic decoration at the French Pavilion at the Tsukuba World Exhibition
1988 Founding member of Paxo studio with the aim of bringing together painters, musicians, dancers and innovative artists including Francesco Mancinelli and Roberto Meta.
1989 Creates paintings and frescoes with Paxo studio artists in Taiwan, Rome and Japan for public and private locations.
1989 Works in his studio in Kamakura, a city rich in history and culture.
Cultural Mediator between Europe and Japan…
1994 Exhibits at the Belgian fairs in Osaka and Nagoya, during the visit of H.R.H. Prince Philippe, now King of Belgium.
1998 Acquisition by the Belgian State of the worh “Kamakura in full bloom” Belgian Embassy in Tokyo, Japan.
1998 Decorated and hosted the King’s festivities at the Residence of the Belgian Embassy in Tokyo from 1998 to 2001.
1999 Organises the Belgian Numazu fair in the 4,000 m² “Kiramesse” dome with live TV transmission and20,000 visitors in three days.
1999 Produced a CD of three songs “Japonida” with his partner the lyric artist Tomomi Hida.
2000 Welcomes H.R.H. Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz of the Kingdom of Belgium to her painting studio in Kamakura.
2000 Paints a 12 m² painting for the dance company of the choreographer Helena Berthelius for the show ‘Eyes from the Sky’ in Tenerife.
2003 Named honorary citizen of the municipality of Forest in Brussels for his contribution to culture.
2003 Works in his workshop in Numazu.
2004 Produced 12 paintings for the catamaran boat “Douce France”.
2005 Creates the packaging for a Japanese cosmetics company.
2005 Retrospective at the Mercian Karuizawa Museum of Art in Japan.
2005 Paints a 20 m² painting “Japonida” for the Belgian day of June 14th at the Universal Exhibition in Aichi, during the visit of Prince Philippe now King of Belgium.
2006 Retrospective at the Imperial Villa of Numazu in Japan.
2006 Exhibition of the work “Matsuri” at the Diamond Museum of the Province of Antwerp in Belgium until 2011.
2006 Creation of 4 serigraphs on Japanese silk.
2006 Conception of a painting with Diamonds “Bouquet” charity evening “Cherry Blossom” in the presence of Her Imperial Highness Princess Takamadonomya.
2008 Realization of 10 painted sculptures of 2.20 meters high.
2009 Exhibition of the work “Creation” 9㎡” and a monumental sculpture “Manneken-pis” of 2.20m high at Brussels National Airport in Belgium.
2010 Produces an album of 12 songs for his wife, lyric artist Tomomi Hida (https://tomomi.style)
2010 Executes a painted sculpture (Commissioned by the Belgian-Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce in Japan) for the inauguration of the new Belgian Embassy in Tokyo “Washi”, collection of the Kingdom of Belgium.
2011 Works in his studio in Damme (Bruges) in Belgium, a city rich in history and culture.
2011 Acquisition of 3 paintings and one painted sculpture by the Belgian State, INASTI, Belgium.
2014 Welcomes H.R.H. Prince Laurent of the Kingdom of Belgium on the occasion of “Brussels Japan Night” to his exhibition at the home of interior architect Philippe Lescrenier.
2015 Design of a painted sculpture, (Commissioned by the Office du tourisme Wallonie- Bruxelles, Belgium) for All Nippon Airways, ANA,Japan.
2016 Establishes his studio in Tokyo.
2016 Acquisition of the work “Bouquet” by the Belgian State, Belgian Embassy, Japan.
2016 Satsu Gallery in Tokyo with the visit from Rudi Vervoort, Minister-President of the Brussels City Region and Philippe Close, Mayor of Brussels Capital.
2016 Retrospective at the Ikeda Museum20th Century of Art, Japan.
2016 Acquisition of the works “Damse Vaart” and “Monumental” by the Ikeda Museum 20th Century of Art, Japan.
2016 Creates a painted sculpture 2.20 metres high for the inauguration of the carpet of flowers of Brussels at Roppongi Hills on the occasion of the Brussels Days in honour of the 150 years of friendship between Belgium and Japan.
2017 Presentation at Shanghai Art Fair 2017, China.
2019 Retrospective at the Krystal & Glam gallery in Tokyo.
2019 Exhibits at the Shanghai Art Fair, Art plus, China.
Public collections
2016 Ikeda Museum of 20th Century Art, Japan
2016 Belgian State (Embassy of Belgium in Tokyo) Japan
2015 All Nippon Airways, Japan
2013 Belgian State (INASTI), Belgium
2010 Belgian State (Belgian Embassy in Tokyo) Japan
1998 Belgian State (Belgian Embassy in Tokyo) Japan