HELLO THERE

 

I’m Neelke Lelubre: it’s nice to meet you! I’ll gladly introduce myself. I'm a contemporary figurative painter based in Erpe-Mere, Belgium.

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EDUCATION

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I started painting in 2018 when I lived in Canada for a while. I visited a lot of art museums and exhibitions and decided: I have to know how to do this! So I started taking lessons at the Ottawa Art Academy.

 

When I came back to Belgium I wanted to continue my growing process and started at the Art Academy in Wetteren, where I received my diplomas in 2024.

 

In June 2025, I received the "Bronzen Arsène" (read more) for painting, a fantastic award and wonderful recognition that I'm on the right track. 

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ARTIST STATEMENT

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I can describe my style as vibrant and colourful with a strong hint of nostalgia. I don't paint realistically, but always figuratively and expressively. The combination of yearning for the past and the bright colours in my work create a vivid experience of a time we didn't necessarily lived through.

 

I always paint from a kind of escapism: escaping the gray reality of the present and disappearing into a colourful world when "everything used to be better" defines my work.

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I've always had a soft spot for the 50s and 60s: the fashion, the interiors, the music and the nostalgia in general. My paintings bring back memories of that time with bright colours and a longing for the "good old days.

 

My starting point can differ from my grandfathers' family photos to scenes from films and TV series set in the 40s, 50s, and 60s.

 

Feel free to click around and join me in my colourful retro world!

 

Very kind regards and hopefully hear from you soon. ​

Neelke​​​​​

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