Adelheid De Witte: 'Holy means pure, perfect, incorruptible and exalted. My studio is none of these'

In the series 'Het atelier van...' this week: Adelheid De Witte, whose work can currently be seen at the Barbé-Urbain gallery in Ghent in the group exhibition Stealing Thunder.

Do you go to your studio every day?

“Not every day, but as much as possible. Drawing, painting or assembling is not so easy to control. It must present itself.”

What time do you leave for your studio, and how: on foot, by bicycle, public transport or car?

“Early in the morning I cycle through wind and weather along the old docks and the port of Ghent to my studio. I grew up in a construction company on the canal, and as a child I was with my grandfather in the crane that unloaded ships. The raw character of that industrial environment near the water continues to appeal to me.”

Do you stick to certain rituals in your studio? Music or silence?

“Unless I'm washing out brushes, tidying up my studio or preparing canvases, the radio is rarely on. I usually switch my phone to 'do not disturb' mode. There is no internet connection. The smell of molten wax and epoxy resin penetrates through the open windows, combined with traditional sounds: carpentry, chiselling, casting, sanding. And Rena, the dog of Berlinde De Bruyckere and Peter Buggenhout, barks all the time. All this creates a constant buzz, which I love by the way.”

How important is light to you?

"Very important. That is also the reason why I paint during the day and not at night. On a drizzly day, a painting can look almost uniformly matte and dark, while in bright light a whole gamut of underlying colors show through.”

How do you work? Does the work only start the moment you enter your studio or does the work continue everywhere and at all times?

"Always and everywhere. I also consciously seek out specific places outside my studio. Fairgrounds, amusement parks or miniature golf courses, for example, because the kitschy, artificial atmosphere of those places continues to attract me. I seek out these places because I find them visually interesting, but that fascination also effectively translates into on-site activities, much to the delight of my eight-year-old daughter, who enjoys accompanying me.”

How much time do you spend on average per day in your studio?

“Sometimes I leave after three hours. Other times I work 12 hours straight. But on average I stay there for eight hours.”

Is the studio a sacred place?

“According to the Van Dale, the word holy means: pure, perfect, incorruptible and sublime. My studio is none of these. For me it is the place par excellence where the imperfect can be explored. Oliver, from the Barbé-Urbain gallery, approaches this search very respectfully, makes no statements about works that are not yet finished and does not sound out in which direction my next paintings will evolve.”

Do you receive visitors from collectors, curators or fellow artists?

“I don't meet very many people in my studio, but collectors, curators, fellow artists, family and friends are welcome during the quieter episodes.”

What is the most beautiful studio you have ever seen?

“That of Joan Miró in Mallorca is the first thing that comes to mind. Much closer, the studio of Berlinde De Bruyckere is a beautiful, serene place. I am lucky enough to have my studio above hers.”

What does the ideal studio look like?

“Like mine now, but three times as big. I also think it would be nice to have some extra space for a daybed to take an afternoon nap.”