Zéphir Busine (Gerpinnes 1916 - Mons 1976)

"Still life with lemons" 1953, Oil on canvas
​65 x 80 cm, 25,6 x 31,5 inch

"Terril" 1957, Oil on canvas
97 x 162 cm, 38,2 x 63,8 inch

"Porphyry plant-Usine de porphyre" 1957, Oil on canvas
​100 x 120 cm, 39,4 x 47,2 inch
Exhibited in Newark, New Jersey, 1958

"Still life with seashells" 1959, Oil on panel
​116 x 73 cm, 45,7 x 28,7 inch

"The City" 1956, Oil on canvas
60 x 80 cm, 23,6 x 31,5 inch

"Craibel" 1957, Oil on canvas
73 x 100 cm, 28,7 x 39,4 inch

"Gateways - Passerelles" 1959, Oil on canvas
114 x 162 cm, 44,9 x 63,8 inch

"Glass sheet factory 1" 1960, Oil on canvas
​100 x 120 cm, 39,4 x 47,2 inch

"Glass sheet factory 2" 1960,  Oil on canvas
100 x 120 cm, 39,4 x 47,2 inch
​

"Glass sheet factory 3" 1961, Oil on panel
​100 x 65 cm, 39,4 x 25,6 inch

"Frame - Ossature" 1961, Oil on canvas
​60 x 80 cm, 23,6 x 31,5 inch

"Construction" 1961, Oil on canvas
​60 x 80 cm, 23,6 x 31,5 inch

"Space" 1962, Oil on canvas
146 x 89 cm, 58 x 35 inch

"Extended" 1962, Oil on canvas
​146 x 89 cm, 58 x 35 inch

  Zéphir Busine posing in front of "Etendue-Extended"

"Sails" 1962, Oil on canvas, 81 x 130 cm
SOLD

 "Ombres captives - Captive shadows" 1964, Oil on canvas
​114 x 114 cm, 44,9 x 44,9 inch

"Terre fertile - fertile earth" 1964, Oil on canvas
​54 x 81 cm, 21,3 x 31,9 inch

"Enclosure - Enclos" 1964, Oil on canvas
​33 x 55 cm, 13 x 21,7 inch

"Mirage" 1965, Oil on canvas
​65 x 100 cm, 25,6 x 39,4 inch

"Incandescence" 1966, Oil on canvas
​56 x 110 cm, 22 x 43,3 inch
Formerly in a private collection, London

"Proliferation" 1968, Oil on canvas
162 x 130 cm, 63,8 x 51,2 inch

"Mr X" 1969, Oil on canvas
​162 x 130 cm, 63,8 x 51,2 inch
Possibly the artist's tribute to guitar legend Jimi Hendrix and his performance at Woodstock in 1969

"Déchirement" 1969, Oil on canvas
​100 x 73 cm, 39,4 x 28,7 inch

"Titanite" 1971, Oil on canvas
​162 x 195 cm,  63,8 x 76,8 inch

"Introspection" 1971, Oil on canvas
​162 x 130 cm,  63,8 x 51,2 inch

"Eclosion" 1973, Oil on canvas, 195 x 162 cm
​SOLD

"Evolution" 1974, Oil on canvas
​100 x 73 cm, 39,4 x 28,7 inch

"Cosmogony" 1974, Oil on canvas
​81 x 100 cm, 31,9 x 39,4 inch

"Friendship" 1975, Oil on canvas
​75 x 100 cm, 29,5 x 39,4 inch

"Opulence" 1972, Gouache

​"Tumulte - Uproar" 1972, Gouache

Gouache

"Cabriole" 1973, Ink drawing

"Epanchement - Effusion", ​Ink drawing

Zéphir Busine was, together with a.o. Roger Dudant, one of the founders of the “Hainaut 5” group of artists. At the start of his career in the 1950’s, he found his inspiration in the human figure, in still lifes, in the industrial sites of his native region of Hainaut, in landscapes and even seascapes, ships and ports. He created harmonious compositions in an almost cubist manner and in rich and powerful colours awakening the eye to the picture’s architecture of horizontal and vertical lines. After this geometric period, the artist focused on works on paper. His gouaches and wash drawings reveal a more gestual and spontaneous style whereby the brush obeys the hand of the master projecting all sorts of characters and arabesques on the paper in a rainbow of colours. In his later abstract works, he managed to develop a personal gouache-like technique by diluting oil in such a way that it is hard to realize that the outcome is a painting on canvas. Busine was undoubtedly one of the best walloon artists of his generation. Since his hometown Mons was European Capital of Culture in 2015, Group 2 Gallery organized a third solo exhibition of this outstanding artist in order to attract the eye of art lovers.

 

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