Karel Funk Builds a Bridge to the Past Through His Hooded Hyperrealistic Paintings

Stems Gallery is exhibiting a new solo show by Canadian artist Karel Funk. Housed at its Brussels flagship, the eponymously titled exhibition continues Funk’s decades-long exploration into shrouded figures in the form of meticulously crafted outerwear.

Inspired by the work of 18th century Flemish drapery painters, Funk reinterprets this pastiche through a modern lens, replacing the ornate robes and cuffs of the past with gorpy iridescent parkas and puffer jackets. “The jacket has become the sole muse, or tool, to satisfy my desire to find a struggle to paint information,” Funk previously told Hypeart, describing the modern contemporary hood as “a bridge to the past.”

Funk spends three months on average to complete each of his paintings — a “perfectionist” attitude, where he often enters a meditative state. Appearing photographic from afar, Funk builds his compositions through an array of thin layers of diluted acrylic paint, resulting in hyperrealistic depictions of polychromatic GORE-TEX and other technical fabrics.

For those in the Belgian capital, the exhibition will be on view until July 27, 2024.

Stems Gallery
Rue du Prince Albert 4,
1050 Ixelles, Belgium