Interview: Joachim Deneire

Joachim Deneire

26 years old
Hasselt´s artist

• A colour: blue
• A food: cheese
• An animal: dog of course
• A film: “Requiem for a dream”
• A group of music: Jim Morrisson and “The Doors”, and Bob Dilan, of course.
• A quote: “It is hurt to shake somebodys hand when you are making a fist?.” It´s a confucciuos proverb. I also like this one of Mahatma Ghandi: “First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win”.

- How did you start painting?
When I was 6, I loved painting animals, and I found out I was good at it. It was mostly in classes like bassic school when I started to be more interested in art class than in the normal classes. It was like a renaissance in my life,(he slightly smiled), and then I just dived into it and I never got out of it. At first I was only drawing with pencils... later when I got know the materials of painters better, I hated it. But, I always loved drawing.
- When did you decided that art was your life?
When I was 15 years old there was a competition where I had to do something about a soda pop. Eveybody painted a standard can, but I painted a mash kicking. I had a teacher that eveybody hated, me also, and after painting that she has put me on a pedestal. Later on I left school: always in struggles with my teachers because I had other ideas than them. I had a really problem of authority at school. So I decided to quiek school.”
- Witch painters influenced you most? Are also your favourites?
Influences are very different of the painters I like: I was inspired when I was at school by Picasso, Rembrant and Boticelli; however, my favourites painters are Miro, Picasso, E. Schiele, S. Dali.
- Is it difficult being an artist in a country like that?
Yes, it is very hard because if you don´t know the right people you can´t start: there is a very closed social enviroment and you have to confront with the people who control the art world and also the funding. 

- And what about Ebay?
I don´t trust it, I guess. If I sell it´s okay, if I don´t sell it´s also okey.
- So you dont paint for earning money?
No, well... if I dont paint I have nothing. So it is pretty most a coincidence that painting and selling my creations go together.
- In your opinion, art means?
Ahh!... I dont know what to say... (stays lost in thought for a few seconds). My art school teacher said its something that is payed for. In my opinion, it´s personal expression that is stheticly responsable. For example, all this modern art like a rock in a piece of paper.. and they say: yes it is art... I dont know, maybe if you put some more work on it...
- How would the World be without art (meaning art as music, paintings, literature or films, for example)?
It would be a very boring world and quite unpersonal and apathic.
- Would you change anything in the world?
Ohh, I would change a lot of things. I would like to see that people are being treated equally in a society and a world that gives you more oportunities to really do what you wanna do.

- What is your philosophy of life?
Ordo ap chao, that means order out of chaos (says rashly).
- For you, what is the most important thing in life?
Friendship is very important to me, dogs are my best friends in life but love is the thing that makes me move.
- Are you proud of who you are?
Not really, I wish I could change the past because there are somethings that I regret. But nowadays I am happy and proud of what I am doing.
- And your most important strenth of spirit?
Being creative. That is my main talent, I think.
- Tell me the most crazy thing you have ever done?
Losts of crazy things. My dad was a bit tired of me and he said I had to leave the house for 3 weeks. Eventually I worked in a bar for 2 months in Antwerpen. And then I hitch-hiked for a month around France visiting Carcasonne, Narbonnes , Nice, Nimes, Montpelliers, Arles and then I went to Barcelona. Barcelona is the most beautiful city I have ever seen in the whole world!
- And the most creative thing you have ever done?
I had this dog long time ago. He was a Dutch Sheppard and his name was Rufus. I painted the entire dog with tigerstripes and made him wear a tie. My stomach still hurts from laughing so much.