A biologist who follows various art courses at Sint-Lucas Academy Ghent (Belgium), Van Der Gucht finds signifcant inspiration in nature.

The artist usually paints from memory, causing the scenes to become abstracted and allow them to speak more of essence than place. she states, ‘it is a wonderful way to reconnect with the experience of that moment, that environment.’ Therefore, part of what they express of the external landscape also reflects their inner landscape. Van der Gucht’s work is a combination of the observed, the sensed and the remembered.

Van der Gucht paints in oils and works on canvas, paper, or aluminum. They use palette knives and brushes and likes to experiment with materials and try to make paintings that reflect physical experiences. The artist often uses materials collected in nature for this purpose, which gives an extra dimension and emphasizes the link with the essence that the work wants to express.

Unpredictable Forest Fire depicts a group of trees with their bases in flames. Through the use of layered oil paint, Van der Gucht creates a visceral image giving the impression of fire and blistering heat resembling a burning forest. Through its tiny dimension of 125mm x 125 mm, it contrasts with the immense scale of forest fires and climate change.

In Europe, last year’s forest fires have been more destructive than the ones in 2021, confirming the worrying destructive trend of recent years.

We are aware that trees are influenced by the environment around them. They need sufficient sunlight to grow, temperatures that are neither too cold nor too warm, and water. It is obvious that a changing climate, with rising temperatures and changes in droughts and floods influence our forests across the world. However, the reverse is also true and the environment around trees is distinctly altered by their presence. Listening to nature, our forests, we may see and experience the world in new ways. We may understand that we exist as part of interconnected changing systems.

This piece encourages a recognition of the damage we have inflicted on our planet without losing hope and the power to act.

Unpredictable Forest Fire, 2022

Oil paint on canvas

125mm x 125mm