- Art & Design
Highs and lows are a part of life for everyone, but Evi Van den Plas is doing something really special with that. Through her sculptural wall art, she aims to digest diverging themes and translate them into something tangible. Abstract shapes and waves develop into a landscape and become a place inhabited by her creativity. We spoke with her about the way leading up, the evolution she hopes to make and the importance of swimming against the current.
Art et Vie is the name the Belgian Evi Van den Plas gave to her studio only a couple of months ago. A word play on more than one level. Next to a link to her name, it is meant as a reference to the interest in art that continuously flared up during her life. Finally, you can also trace it back to the underlying theme of her creations, namely the challenges and obstacles that life throws at us all the time. Even though the works contain a rather heavy content, she always keeps it aesthetically appealing. Neutral colours, organic waves that determine the view, and small figures that brave the obstacles with symbolism. ‘They are literally going over the bumps on the road,’ the artistic talent adds herself. 
Since she was a child, she has always been captured by creative hobbies. Crafting, visits to drawing school, and experimenting with her hands were always her greatest joy. In high school, this continued in a fascination for art history and a lasting appreciation for the ambience you find in galleries. She studied a scientific curriculum but did not really find her place. She was desperate to trade catholic school for art school, and after facing a lot of resistance from her environment, she was eventually allowed to make the switch. This is also immediately her biggest piece of advice: dare to push your dream, even when the people around you suggest the opposite at first.
‘They are literally going over the bumps in the road’
An education within visual and architectural design gave Van den Plas a lot of satisfaction. Perhaps even more important is the broadening of her mind she experiences there. Before, she was considered smart in theory, but in art school she came into contact with things she previously only had a limited or even non-existing knowledge of. Even on a personal level she reaped the benefits from this decision, since she met her best friend at school. Today, her main occupation is making silicon prosthetics. This background means that she is familiar with many different materials, like carbon, steel, and clay. Considering that in her craft she has a lot of experience with moulding, this clearly returns in her art. During the making process, she always preserves room for the balance that the work needs to have in the end. Visually, the creations exude calmness, even when at times heavy topics are to be incorporated subcutaneously. At the moment, you mainly notice neutral, earthy tones in her portfolio. Next to the fact that she simply thinks these shades work great, she notices that such a palette is a thankful option for an interior. Still, she aims to use more colour in the future. This is a search that is in full development, because the overall effect should remain peaceful.
Want to read more about this impressive talent? You can read about it in the December 2023 edition of Imagicasa Magazine.
Images courtesy of Evi Van den Plas
Photography by Valerie Joseph
Text by Cara Jacobs