Obêtre

A graduate in art in the public space of La Cambre, he is the winner of the ISELP in-situ creation grant; he already has several projects on display in Brussels (the Foundry, ISELP, Wiels) and abroad. After discovering graffiti in the mid-1990s, he gradually integrated collage, stencil and stickers into his work. As well as calling for further reflection on the work itself, the location of the work also becomes essential: as such, Obêtre has evolved towards contextual art. After having made his name, following the example of the Atlas who created the monumental mural leading to the CENTRALE for contemporary art in 2013, Obêtre uses various materials (wood, ceramic tiles, sheets of newspaper, advertising posters, etc.) to create real bas-reliefs of great dynamism and intensity. During his training at La Cambre, he participated in the creation of the Transgressif collective alongside seven other graffiti artists and graffiti writers. Their objective is to break the rules of graffiti; consequently, barriers are broken down, techniques are unlimited and form is liberated. Gradually, the questioning of graffiti and its standards is being complemented by a sense of civic commitment. Following the completion of his studies in sociology in Brussels, Obêtre focused on uniting these two approaches. Obêtre sees himself, first and foremost, as an urban artist, that is to say a citizen who drafts “graffitectures” – i.e. works which are closely bonded to a particular place and with which they strike a common chord. He is nourished by the diversity and architectural dynamics of the city.