"I hate the word artist.
Art is something you feel deep within yourself.
It’s a necessity that demands an answer, an urge needing to be realised."

Mart de Houwer

1989

In a relatively short artistic career Mart de Houwer dedicated herself to one topic: the line. Over a period of only two decades, from 1979 until her death in 1999, De Houwer created a highly individual oeuvre. Her large drawings, canvasses and sculptures, are like no other. While some of her little drawings consist over 4000 lines, her larger works have close to half a million lines, created over a period of months.

Mart de Houwer never focussed on commercialism, nor on fame. She didn’t theorize artistic ideas, nor did she promote herself with exhibitions or museum shows. Only when asked by others, she could be persuaded to show her work to the outside world. Newspaper articles and recollections of befriended artists give some kind of insight in her mindset. Together with the remaining works they give an intriguing insight into the life of artist, making art for her own well-being. During the day she joined her husband at their jobs at the local diary factory, but in her free time she dedicated herself to her art. Mart de Houwer trained late in her life as an artist, not to make it her profession, but to find a way of creating a tranquil refuge place, just for her.

The tranquility of the mind who created them, together with the dedication and labor used to create them, give the works by Mart de Houwer a timeless quality. They posses a comforting element, which is as relevant in the light of current times as they were for Mart de Houwer when she created them. Now, finally her work is available for the world to see.

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