About
Spiritual Artist
For the artist Joseph Delmeire, spiritual art transcends the mere act of painting; it is a gateway to the sublime, an invitation to viewers to explore realms beyond the physical world. Delmeire’s spiritual art is an intimate dance of the soul with the canvas, where each brushstroke is an act of meditation, a silent mantra that resonates with the innermost vibrations of being.
In his world, spiritual art is not defined by specific symbols or doctrines. Instead, it is an experience—a visual journey that initiates a conversation between the viewer’s spirit and the universal energies. His “Cathedrals” series, for example, materializes the elevation of the human spirit, creating a sacred universe within the confines of the canvas. It is a celebration of the invisible bonds that connect us to nature, to each other, and to the cosmos.
Delmeire sees his art as a living entity, a creation that continues to evolve and interact with its audience. It’s an interactive realm where the artist and the observer co-create the final experience. This dynamic exchange is the essence of his spiritual art—it engages, enlightens, and elevates, aiming to leave the beholder with a sense of peace, introspection, and a deeper connection to the ineffable.
Through paint, I converse with the canvas, translating the essence of moments into silent stories
Joseph Delmeire
- Recognised abroadAdmired by Pierre Cardin, Alain Delon, Annie Girardot and Carole Bouquet.
- Presented as a Belgian voiceIntroduced internationally by the future King and Queen of Belgium as one of the prominent artists from Belgium.
- Espace Pierre Cardin, ParisJanuary 2005 — the culmination of the first part of his career as a painter.
- Shown sinceParis, New York, Nice, Toulouse and Brussels.
Artist biography
In the heart of Belgium’s robust industrial landscape, on the 30th of October 1949, the story of Joseph Delmeire began. Born to a Walloon miner and a vibrant Croatian ice cream vendor from Zagreb, Joseph’s early life was painted with the soot and spirit of coalmining towns, where the eclectic symphony of languages from Yugoslav, Polish, Italian, Moroccan, and Algerian workers filled the air. An outsider among locals, Joseph learned early that rejection could mold a soul, but it could also forge resilience.
Joseph’s hands, which would one day craft visions of ethereal realms, first toiled with the tangible earthiness of wood as a carpenter’s apprentice. With every plank he shaped and every nail he drove, the undercurrents of creativity bubbled within. Financial independence bloomed alongside his skills, and with the tenacity of an artist’s heart, he began drawing not just buildings but the blueprints of his destiny.
The 1970s saw Joseph’s life woven with the threads of love and fatherhood. Marriage to Marie brought his first son, Eddy, into his world, a world that soon expanded with a second marriage to Yvette and the birth of his daughter, Alisson. The 80s rang in with the echoes of a third marriage to Karin and the artistic lineage grew with his second son, Dorian, and later, a daughter, Victoria. It was during these years that the seeds of art, sown by his father-in-law, the painter René Rochez, began to sprout.
Joseph’s life was a canvas of extremes; his days a kaleidoscope of construction sites, a home ringing with laughter, and nights under the high life’s glittering lights. Yet, beneath the revelry, art was his sanctuary, a silent whisper of his true calling. It wasn’t long before Joseph’s artistry began to shine in exhibitions, reflecting the dual inspirations of his bucolic village of Erquelines and the modern art that whispered to him in the many cities he visited. The turn of the millennium was a crescendo of acclaim with an exhibition in Espace Pierre Cardin in Paris, but fame’s fickle shadow loomed, and 2005 marked a descent as swift as it was severe. The collapse of his construction business marked the lowest point of his life as an entrepreneur, a crucible that would burn away the superfluous and leave only the essence of the man.
In the crucible’s fire, Joseph Delmeire was reborn. The last 15 years have been his renaissance, not just as an artist but as a spiritual beacon. Embracing the support of friends and family, he turned the chisel upon himself, sculpting a life dedicated to bridging the physical and spiritual realms. His art became more than a pursuit; it was a pilgrimage, each painting a step toward enlightenment.
Today, Joseph Delmeire’s spiritual leadership in art and life is a testament to the transformative power of adversity. His works, infused with the essence of his journey, continue to be celebrated in exhibitions from Paris to New York. And now, in a digital era, his legacy unfurls across the world, as his paintings find a new home online, inviting all to partake in the spiritual dialogue he so eloquently conducts on canvas.
In Joseph Delmeire’s odyssey, we find a mirror to our own – a tale of triumph, despair, and ultimate redemption, all captured in the silent language of paint and passion.
- 1949 (30 October)
- Born from a Belgian (Walloon) father and a Croat mother from Zagreb
- Father is a miner
- Mother sells icecream with a cart on the streets
- Raised among coalminers, between industrial cities and the countryside
- People around him come from many places to work in the mines (Yougoslavia, Poland, Italy, Morocco, Algeria)
- He is one of "them" not really a local, rejected by the locals
- He will later say that the rejects sometimes turn into villains
- 1963
- Soon attracted by the construction sector he start as a trainee carpenter
- Loved working with his hands as a workman before becoming a plastic artist
- The 60'
- He learns on the job and soon moves from trainee to skilled carpenter; he learns how to draw the plans for intricate parts of the building
- Gains financial independence
- 1970
- First marriage, with Marie
- First son, Eddy
- 1978
- Second marriage, with Yvette
- 1980
- First daughter, Alisson
- 1983
- Third marriage, with Karin
- Starts to follow the work of his father in law, the painter René Rochez
- 1984
- Second son, Dorian
- 1986
- Second daughter, Victoria
- 1989
- Learns figurative painting with his father in law, René Rochez
- The 90'
- He creates his own construction companies and surrounds himself with a loyal staff
- He lives his life to the full, tons of parties, many friends, a unique house, cars, bikes, horses, the high life
- Art is initially an escape from the stress of owning his own construction business
- It gradually becomes a field of expression; he shines early in exhibitions where he joins his father in law
- His inspirations are, on the one hand, the nature, as well as the gallo-roman remains next to his home village of Erquelines, on the border between Belgium and France; on the other hand the many cities he visits and particularly the modern art museums where he studies all forms of modern art
- 2005 (17-25 January)
- Exhibition in Espace Pierre Cardin in Paris
- Culmination of the first part of his career as a painter
- 2005
- Lowest point in his life as an entrepreneur
- In the last 15 years
- After few years reconstructing himself with close friends and family; and after re-evaluating his life goals, he decided to dedicate his life to his gifts as a bridge between the physical world and the spiritual world; first through his painting and second through individual and group activities to guide his growing following into the benefits of embracing the spiritual world
- He never stopped presenting his paintings in temporary or permanent exhibitions in Paris, New York, Nice, Toulouse and Brussels. Since 2020, his painting is also available online on delmeire.art
Joseph Delmeire
A monograph devoted to his work, with a text by the poet and art critic Nicole de Pontcharra and a preface by Christian Renard. Referenced by the Bibliothèque nationale de France.
Out of print — no longer available from booksellers.