Nick Ervinck - LEGULEARI

NICK ERVINCK (° 1981) graduated in 2003 from the KASK (Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Ghent) with a master's degree in Mixed Media. He then trained in computer modeling, sculpting and working with materials such as polyester, plaster and wood. 

His work consists of large installations, handmade and 3D printed sculptures, ceramics, prints, drawings, light boxes and animated films.

As diverse as this art production may be, above all, he remains fascinated by the "negative space" as he discovered it with classical sculptors such as Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth. The finding that a "hole" in matter is such a young idea will probably haunt him for the rest of his life. As a child of his time, he plays a varying game between the physical and virtual world, using both classic and new craftsmanship (computers, 3D printing and milling). From here he explores in his own unique way classical themes such as man (with a focus on his anatomy and the emergence of cyborgs), plants (especially their genetic manipulation), masks and animals, always starting from an (art) historical background that he cuts with contemporary pop and sci-fi culture.

He has received several prizes: Prix Godecharle (2005), The Fortis Young Ones Award (2006), the Provincial Prize for Fine Arts West Flanders (2006) and the Rodenbach Fund Award (2008). In 2013 Ervinck also won the prestigious Merit CODA Award for his art integration IMAGROD

He founded Studio Nick Ervinck in 2011. His work has been acquired by art collectors around the world and shown in solo and group exhibitions at NRW-Forum Düsseldorf; Ars Electronics, Linz; MARTa, Herford; Paul Valéry Museum, Sète; Fenaille Museum, Rodez; Laboral, Gijon; Museum Beelden aan Zee, Scheveningen; Bozar, Brussels; Brakke Grond, Amsterdam; S.M.A.K., Ghent; Gallo-Roman Museum, Tongeren; Museum Dr. Guislain, Ghent; Vanhaerents Art Collection, Brussels; Museum M, Leuven; the Museum of Fine Arts, Ghent and the Middelheim Museum, Antwerp.

Outside Europe, Ervinck took his first steps with group exhibitions in Shanghai, Tokyo, Flagstaff and New York.

source: Nick Ervinck

During a walk through the Yuyuan garden in Shanghai, a marvellous garden constructed by a government officer for his parents along the border of the Huangpu River, the perforated, irregular rocks grabbed the attention of sculptor Nick Ervinck. There is a strange sense of contemplation, of wisdom, captured in these intricate and ancient shapes. Although born from the power of nature, these rocks seem to escape their natural origin.

These rocks are known as Gongshi or spirit stones in Chinese tradition. The irregularities in the rocks are believed to be an externalisation of qi energy, a vital, spiritual force that is part of all that exists. Through these rocks, and nature in general, scholars reflected on their own morals, virtues and beliefs. The balance and harmony between people and nature was highly valued in Chinese philosophy.

These spirit stones thus had a profound effect on the viewer, encouraging meditation and contemplation. And each time, the holes, paths and ridges reveal something different, reveal another perspective on the world that is encapsulated in the rocks, a spiritual dimension beyond the pure physical appearance.

Next to that, their aesthetic qualities were also strongly admired by the Chinese people throughout history. Mi Fu, a twelfth-century Chinese scholar, wrote a treatise on the aesthetics of the spirit stones. He distinguished four main aesthetic qualities: shou, an elegant and upright stature; zhou, a wrinkled and furrowed texture; lou or cracks that are like channels or paths through the rock; and tou, the holes in the rock that allow air and light to pass through.

Inspired by this ancient occidental tradition, Ervinck constructed a series of contemporary, digitalized rock sculptures. The newest digital techniques allow these complex structures to enter into reality itself. This creates a mutual fertilisation between the digital and the real. By scanning the borders of tradition and innovation through computational methods, Ervinck searches for new ways to revolutionize the art of sculpture.