A SELECTION OF PAINTINGS

Each painting draws from his personal or societal image pool, encompassing images from magazines, newspapers, television, and the internet. He selects those that resonate with him, particularly those capturing contemporary times, to create today’s enigmatic series of painted memories.

Images have a history of being used as propaganda since photography’s inception, sparking centuries of debate about their potential danger and objectivity. Chilean artist Alfredo Jaar asserted, “Images are not innocent. Every single image out there in the world represents (…) an ideological conception of the world.” De Smet concurs, presenting his paintings as airplanes poised to strike. He transcends the notion of image neutrality, emphasizing the aggressive visual stimuli bombarding us today, suggesting that images themselves can be weapons.

He delves into the spatial boundaries defined by humans and nature. These limits, often imposed by international and national politics, geographical disasters, or national borders, can restrict human freedom of movement. The paintings frequently highlight the paradoxes inherent in our societies, which are constantly undergoing self-redefinition. The work often zooms in on the paradoxes of western societies, which are redefining themselves as we speak.