Manuel Vermeire

Biography Manuel Vermeire Manuel Vermeire was born in Chiusdino (Siena) on July 12th 1987, the son of Belgian parents who had moved to Italy a few years earlier. He has completed his secondary education arts study at the Istituto d'Arte Duccio di Buoninsegna in Siena, obtaining the Maturità Artistica in July 2007. At that point he decided to direct his artistic efforts towards the traditional graphic techniques of engraving and printmaking. He was awarded a scholarship that enabled him to enroll at the internationally renowned institute Il Bisonte in Firenze, Italy. For the full calender year of 2008 he remained engaged in a very intensive training course (1400 hours) known as the Qualifica Professionale. This allowed him to gain a profound insight into techniques as etching, aquatint, drypoint, mezzotint and burin engraving. His teachers were Rodolfo Ceccotti, Manuel Ortega and Vincenzo Burlizzi. Having acquired this sound technical knowledge basis he went to stay with the Cork Printmakers in Cork, Ireland, one of the eminent professional printmaking workshops in Europe. Exhibitions: GENT, BELGIUM: KUNST IN DE BURGSTRAAT - 8 to 16 december 2006. 12 pencil drawings and woodcut prints exhibited at Europabank, Burgstraat 170, Gent. At the end of the exhibition the auction house DVC sold his drawing Il pescatore di memorie to an anonimous bidder. The money went to a charity, the Kinderkankerfonds of the University of Gent. COLLE VALDELSA, ITALY, ASSOCIAZIONE CULTURALE MINO MACCARI - In july 2007 he won first prize in the Concorso Mino Maccari per la Satira Grafica in Colle Valdelsa, Italy, with an original drawing on the theme of the mass media. CINCINNATI, OHIO, RED TREE GALLERY – He was invited to take part in the international exhibition “A Small Glimpse: Life from the perspective of artists all over the world” : the show runs from September 8th through October 4th, 2008: www.redtreegallery.net FIRENZE - ARCHIVIO STORICO DEL COMUNE DI FIRENZE: "INCISIONI: MOSTRA ALLIEVI 2008", Palazzo Bastogi, Via dell'Oriuolo 35, Firenze, November 21st to December 15th, 2008, a collective exhibition of 8 contemporary graphic artists who have completed the professional qualification course at Il Bisonte, International School of graphic Arts, Firenze, Italy. Catalogue with introduction by Lucia Bassignana. ACQUI TERME BIENNALE: Selection for the IXth Biennale dell’Incisione in Acqui Terme, Italy, june-july 2009. Catalogue by Mazzotta Editori.

PARIS, SAINT CLOUD: Musée des Avelines, exhibition 'Bois de fil, bois de bout...la gravure sur bois', from november 21st to december 20th, 2009. Participation as winner of the Prix d'Honneur in the Jean Chièze wood engraving competition, 2009.

DUBLIN – BLACK CHURCH PRINT STUDIO: Selection for the exhibition “INVISIBLE” from February 11 to March 4, 2010. Curators Oliver Dowling, Margaret O'Brien and John Graham.

LONDON BANKSIDE GALLERY– BIRMINGHAM ROYAL SOCIETY OF ARTISTS – HEREFORD MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY: Selection for participation in the 73th Society of Wood Engravers annual exhibition (2010 and 2011).

GALWAY – IMPRESSIONS 2010: Prints exhibition at the Galway Arts Centre, exhibition runs from december 3rd , 2010 until january 8th, 2011.

BREDENE, Belgium, Staf Versluyscentrum: nomination for Arnoevoo prize, exhibition december 18th 2010 till january 21st 2011.

PARIS, RUEIL MALMAISON, Centre culturel L'Ermitage: "En volume"; 27th Salon de l'estampe by the "Graver Maintenant" printmaking association; exhibition march 3rd till april 7th, 2011.

Collections: His works are in private collections in Belgium, Italy, Australia and the United States and in the collection of the Museo dell'Incisione, Palazzo dei Paleologi, Acqui Terme, Italy. Publications: The following drawings were published in METIS, Il giornale di Siena città aperta, a monthly city magazine: Orologio universale, Naufragio in città, Indovina chi porto a cena, Tetti, Liberi dalle catene, Le vacanze di Oscar, Castello Claeys Gent. Inspirations: He finds inspiration in the works of great artists from the past, such as Albrecht Dürer, Ugo da Carpi, Aubrey Beardsley, Maurits Escher, Jacob De Gheyn and Hendrik Goltzius and of contemporary artists such as Kathleen Lindsley. Contact: manuelvermeire@hotmail.com ; manuelvermeire@gmx.com; address: Emile Zolalaan 67, B-1030 Brussels, Belgium. Second address: Ooievaarstraat 140 B-9000 Gent Belgium +3292273373 Third: Vicolo Vincenzo Pullella 3 Montalcinello I-53012 Chiusdino (SI) Italy +393382137475 www.absolutearts.com/portfolios/m/manuelvermeire