Born 1922 in Ghent

Landuyt, Octave, Belgian painter, born in Ghent in 1922. Innovator and sole representative of current plastic art characterized by an extraordinary speculative, emotional, and at times lyrical and often vitriolic content. This universal Fleming, son of Uylenspiegel and Verhaeren, is as much at ease in lost civilizations as in our own robotized world. Whether in pre-Colombian cities or in Tibetan remples, he is everywhere at home. No myth, no spiritualist concept is a child of both his own and of all times. The fantastic world in which he moves is one of a superb and devouring splendour. The anxiety he expresses taps our deepest questionings. But it is undoubtedly in his power as a medium, the basic ingredient of all his works, whether drawings, canvases, sculptures, ceramics or jewellery, that we perhaps find Landuyt's true secret, the secret of which Emile Langul said that it never fails to escape us. An inspired medium, author of a vision of man and his destiny which both deforms and synthesizes, of man whom he magnifies not without at times a trait of liberating humour, Landuyt "can be read in all languages and all latitudes".
Total art can only encourage exegesis and passionate commentary. A further detail, and a not unimportant one: this "Renaissance man" is also a poet, able to express itself in the subtle meanders of a capricious and indeed surrealist written style, (unlike his painting) with shock-images which at times cast light on the mystery of his creation.

Distinctions
1954 Distinction, Young Belgian Painters' competition - Prize for the best exhibition, March
1956 Prize International Exhibition «di Bianco e Nero», Lugano
1957 Waler prize of the Biennale of São Paulo, Brazil
1958 Monique de Groote prize - Gold Medal of the World Exhibition, Brussels - Guggenheim International Award, Belgian section - Prize of the best exhibition, March - Europa Prize - Grand Prize for monumental ceramics, International Exhibition, Ostend, Belgium
1959 «Signe d'Or» for printed hanging textile fabrics «Morgana»
1961 «Signe d'Or» for industrial design
1963 «Signe d'Or» for industrial design - Prize of the International Exhibition of ceramics in Monza, Italy
1964 National selection «Signe d'Or» for industrial design
1965 National selectiono of the Biennale of São Paulo - Prize, Faenza exhibition, ceramics
1967 National selection at the World exhibition of Montreal
1968 National selection for jewels, Hemisfair, Texas - International selection Marzotto prize
1969 National selection ceramics - The Cape
1970 National selection jewels, Osaka
1971 National selection Edinburgh Festival - National selection ceramics, Marseille
1972 National selection ceramics, Montreal - National selection ceramics and paintings, Marseille - National selection jewels, Faenza)
1973 National selection ceramics, Delft - National selection ceramics, Montreal - National selection ceramics, Londen - National selection jewels, Milan
1975 Prize H.A.M.
1979 Grand Prix Humanitaire de France
1992 Prize of Mastership, Clasic IIICollections
Museum of Modern Art, New York - museum of Modern Art, Brussels - museum of Graphic Art, New York - Museum Kroller Müller, Otterlo - museums of Ghent, Antwerp, Ostend, São Paulo, Lugano, Courtrai, Touchung, Faenza, Capetown, Verviers - Rodman Museum, Oakland - wadsworth Atheneum - Roosevelt University, Chicago - Chaleographic cabinet, Brussels - Museum Albert and Victoria, London - Belgian state Collection, Collection of West-Flanders.